Facing my demons
by soulsearcher1
Summary: When Goku left for a second time, he left Gohan behind once again, without sorting out their problems. What happens when they see each other again one year later. Can they sort out their problems while facing a new powerful enemy?
1. Chapter 1

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death

Important note: Some are out of character, but it had to be done for the sake of this story. This is the sequel of My Inner Demons, I suggest you read that first or this book will not make any sense.*

Gohan sighed as he sat up straight, staring out the window in his room. The clouds were a dark grey, almost blue. It would be raining soon. Gohan smiled a small smile at the thought of rain. He loved the rain. Standing, Gohan moved his chair to sit in front of the window where he wouldn't have to strain his neck to look out at the view. His mother would probably be coming into his room to ask him to go find Goten and Trunks. The Briefs family were over once again for dinner. Gohan sighed, he had noticed that everyone would constantly come check in under the excuse that they were just making sure that they were fine as a family. Gohan knew that that wasn't the real reason. They were all worried about him, but mostly cautious. They were nervous around him. He doesn't blame them, though he wishes they would just leave him alone. He was dealing with his problems just fine. His mother thought that she was hiding it well, but he noticed the nervous glances. Every time she was alone with him, she would shake lightly from nerves, or maybe she was just that scared of him.

He could hear the faint sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. He turned his head in time to see the door open and a nervous Bulma stick her head in through the door. His mother doesn't even want to come get him herself if she could send someone else.

"Hey, your mother wants you to go find Trunk and Goten, please?" She asked. Gohan nodded, not bothering to answer verbally as he stood, opening his window and jumping out, landing gracefully on the grass below. Searching with his senses, he found that the two boys were near where Goku used to take him fishing. Gohan took his time walking to the river, sighing when he saw the two boys, slightly covered in dirt.

"Mom wants you home, boys," Gohan called.

"Okay," Goten answered shortly, ignoring Gohan as he walked passed the teen.

Trunks at least spared him a smile when he walked by Gohan. The teen sighed once again and trailed behind the boys.

"Goten, you know you're going to have to talk to him some time," Trunks said, though he was ignored.

Gohan felt happy that at least Trunks was still relatively friendly with him, a little happy that he was still there.

"Your dad left, Goten, your brother is still here, the least you could do is talk to him," Trunks said, slightly annoyed.

"My dad left, I know, but at least my dad didn't try to kill us a bunch of times! My dad left a good guy unlike Gohan! I hate him!" Goten yelled. His vocabulary a lot better now that he's a year older. A tense silence filled the air. Gohan felt his heart sink at his baby brother's words.

His own brother hated him. Gohan's gaze turned cold as the two boys turned slowly to him, afraid that he'll hurt them. Gohan walked forward, noticing how the two tensed.

"Make sure you get home," Gohan spoke, voice cold as he left the two behind. This whole thing was starting to annoy him. Everyone being careful around him, walking on eggshells, if this didn't stop soon, he might actually hurt someone. But for right now, he'll settle on hurting himself. He opened the front door, entering the house.

"Gohan? Where are the boys?" Chi-Chi asked, turning at the sound of the front door opening.

"On their way," Gohan answered shortly as he walked through the kitchen, ignoring Vegeta and Bulma sitting at the dinner table.

"Gohan-" Chi-Chi started, wanting to scold him for leaving the boys to come home alone, knowing that if he didn't walk back with them, they would delay as long as possible.

"Drop it, mother!" Gohan raised his voice, feeling his eyebrow twitch when his mother jumped. Gohan sighed harshly, glancing at the door when the two children came running in. Gohan turned around and stalked off, returning to his room.

Gohan sighed in relief once he locked the door behind him. Staring out the window for a moment, Gohan walked to his dresser, moving aside some well folded clothing before pulling out a small plastic box. Opening the lid he pulled out a razor. Closing the box, he placed it back in it's hiding place, pulling the clothes back over and shutting the drawer, he walked back over towards his chair that faced the window. He sat down, propping his feet up on the window sill. Gohan rolled up the sleeve on his black long sleeved shirt that he wore under his usual gi outfit and stared at the scars littering the inside of his forearm. They varied in size along with the long scars he has because of his previous suicide. Pressing the sharp end of the blade to his fragile skin, he pressed down and dragged the razor across his arm numerous times, watching as his blood dribbled down his pale skin. After watching his blood for a while, he shifted his gaze to stare out the window.

Gohan could smell dinner downstairs and knew, from the smell of it, that it was nearly finished. Sighing, Gohan stood and placed the blade back from where he found after cleaning it. He quickly whiped his blood away, the cuts on his arm already healed. Gohan walked back and sat in front of the window once again, resting his feet on the windowsill as he sat back, instantly relaxing once it started raining. His room was dark, the only light coming from outside when the lightning would strike, creating a brief flash of light. Gohan admits that he feels very lonely, it didn't matter that everyone would constantly check up on him, not when the were so nervous they would jump at the smallest of sounds. He didn't like being near Piccolo, the Namekian constantly pushed him to talk about his feeling and whatnot. He misses his father, a lot. He still occasionally felt anger towards the man, but other than that, he didn't feel much of anything. He felt drained. Emotionally, physically and even mentally. He did train a lot, but he doesn't know whether or not that could be the cause. He mostly just feels lonely. Completely and utterly lonely.


	2. Chapter 2

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Goku smiled as he watched his friends fight. It was almost time for him to fight against Pikkon and he was very excited. Pikkon was one of Otherworld's best fighters as well as his best friend, or at least, Goku thought of him as his best friend. He often told the green human like being about his old family life and bragged a lot about his two sons. He watched as Pikkon won his battle, he was bubbling with excitement. Lost in thought, he missed the next few matches, only being dragged from his thoughts when the announcer called for him.

"Whoops, heh heh, sorry," Goku said, running onto the stage and taking on his battle stance. The two fighters launched at each other, their attention quickly focused on nothing but their fight.

They jumped apart just in time to miss being hit by a large bubble type thing forming in the middle of the arena. Confused, they looked to the Grand Kai for answers, Pikkon wanting to and investigate, but Goku didn't want to win the fight with Pikkon withdrawing just to go see what was going on. The Grand Kai called, telling them both to go and once they came back, they could finish their fight. Together, Goku and Pikkon left to investigate what was going on. There they found a giant pale yellow monster that sat on the check in station. It was also covered in a large bubble. Leading this being, named Janemba, down to hell, Goku started his fight while Pikkon proceeded to help King Yemma get out if his imprisonment. The fight was at first a little light hearted, until Goku turned into a super saiyan 3 and managed to severely injure the creature. To his utter shock and horror, the giant pale alien turned red and grew a tale, much smaller now, but still rather intimidating. Goku fought against this being, but lost not long after. Goku was in a lot of pain, when Pikkon arrived, saving his life as he, too, fought against Janemba, though the battle didn't last very long.

Back on earth, Gohan has just finished getting ready for his morning training. It was still dark out, early in the morning hours as Gohan tied his shoes before jumping out of his bedroom window, running into the woods. He started with a few stretches before doing numerous push-ups, sit-ups and squats. He then proceeded to punch and kick in the air. Soon, he got bored and turned into a super saiyan, his movements a lot faster now that he had ascended. Goku was laying on his stomach on the cold hard ground, watching as Janemba beat Pikkon into a bloody pulp. Catching the red human like being off guard, Goku quickly jumped to his feet and sent a powerful Ki blast at Janemba. Janemba had to drop Pikkon in order to dodge the attack. Pikkon jumped back, landing gracefully next to Goku as the two of them tensed, not knowing what to do.

"He's strong, what are we-" Pikkon cut himself off as the three fighters turned their heads in the direction of a massive power level. Janemba clenched his teeth at this power. It was unlike anything he's ever felt before. Goku felt shock course through him. Could it be?

"What the hell is that?!" Pikkon yelled, tensing at the thought of having to fight this new power. Because the dimensional barriers were down, it was a lot easier to sense large power levels coming from the world of the living.

"It's Gohan," Goku answered, pride swelling in his chest. His son had gotten so powerful! Goku turned his attention back to Janemba in time to see the red being smirk before he disappeared along with his power level.

Goku sighed in relief, they were safe for now.

"That's your son I'm sensing?" Pikkon asked, clearly shocked.

"Yeah! We should probably go to King Yemma and see how he's doing," Goku said, standing from where he had sat down, still pretty beat up. Goku used his instant transmission to arrive at the check in station. The four Kai's as well as the Grand Kai and a few fighters were already there, waiting for the two to arrive.

"Well?! Did you defeat him?!" King Kai asked, fists clenched, a nervous habit.

"No, he got away," Pikkon answered.

"What?! How could you let him get away, Pikkon?!" West Kai shouted.

"You see, he just disappeared after we sensed Gohan," Goku explained shortly.

"Gohan? Your son Gohan?" Olibu asked, shocked that anyone could be sensed this far away.

"Yeah, you can still sense him," Goku said, a sort of smug smile on his face when everyone started sensing for his son. His pride in his son only grew when shocked gasps could be heard around the otherwise silent room.

"That's your son?!" West Kai exclaimed, nearly falling over from the power he was sensing.

"But that's just impossible!" East Kai shouted.

"Goku! Janemba could be going to earth right at this minute! Your friends and family could be in danger!" King Kai yelled, only just realising the danger the earth, no, universe could be in!

"The entire universe is in danger! With no dimensional barriers, the dead will walk among the living and the living among the dead! What's worse, is everyone who's in hell already, could break out and destroy everything! Goku, this means Cell, Freeza and his minions, everyone you, your friends and son helped put in hell, will break out! And where do you think they'll go if that does happen?!" King Yemma yelled, feeling quite panicked himself.

"Earth," Goku said, eyes wide in shock, panic bubbling in his chest. His son might be strong, but against all those people and monsters who would want revenge? They didn't stand a chance! Not to mention the fact that Cell and the others could have been training themselves, who knows how strong they are now!

"Goku! I'm sending you, Pikkon and Olibu to earth. If Janemba really sensed Gohan and is on his way there, the you three can team up with your friends and family and defeat this new enemy! Now go!" King Yemma yelled, taking charge, though the Grand Kai was standing just there. The Grand Kai couldn't think of a better plan himself. Nodding, Pikkon and Olibu gathered around Goku, placing their hands on his shoulders.

"Good luck, Goku, you're going to need it," King Kai spoke.

"Don't worry, King Kai, I have Pikkon and Olibu not to mention Vegeta and Gohan," Goku said, a bright smile on his face.

"That's not what I meant," King Kai said, his voice soft. The others in the room looked on, confused, not understanding what the conversation was about.

Goku frowned, slowly realizing what the Kai was talking about.

"Don't worry, King Kai, maybe now, we can sort out our differences," Goku said, hope shining in his eyes.

"I hope so, I really do Goku, for your son's sake," King Kai had a rather worried look on his face. He'd been watching Gohan over the past year and the teen wasn't getting any better, in fact, he was getting worse.

"Wait, Goku," the Grand Kai called before the three warriors could disappear.

"Yes, Grand Kai?" Goku asked, looking curiously at the old man.

"I want you to bring your son, uh, Gohan, right? I want you to bring him here, before things get to heated down on earth," the Grand Kai spoke, smiling lightly at Goku's confused look.

"Feel free to bring the rest of your friends and family, just take 'em on over to my planet, hope to see you soon," the Grand Kai said before he turned and walked away. Goku watched on in confusion before he shrugged.

"I'll see you soon, King Kai!" Goku yelled out. He concentrated, waiting for Olibu and Pikkon to place their hands on his shoulders, before they disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Gohan had just returned from his morning training. He had returned a lot later then he usually would, but shrugged it off. He could smell breakfast. He had to admit, he was starving. Smiling a small smile, Gohan hurriedly gathered clean clothes and rushed to the bathroom, taking a quick shower, he was about to step out when he sensed something. He couldn't recognize what or who it was, but it was strong. Gohan felt as though he went into a trance like state, not really caring about the powerful energy he could just barely sense now, as his eye caught site of something else. His mother's razor sat there, inviting him to use it, taunting him. With shaking hands, he clumsily picked the razor up and without much thought, randomly started slicing his entire arm. Blood flowed down the drain, mixed with water. Gohan rinsed his mother's razor and placed it back where he found it and watched his blood flow, mesmerized.

Once the bleeding stopped, Gohan stepped out of the shower, quickly drying and hurriedly dressing, his mother had just called out that breakfast was ready. Once downstairs, Gohan awkwardly greeted his mother and brother. The tense silence quickly ruined Gohan's appetite. He could see how tense his mother and brother were, as though they were sure that he'd kill them if they ate the wrong way. Gohan sighed loudly, inwardly cringing when his family flinched. Gohan bowed his head, ready to excuse himself when he sensed a familiar Ki signature just outside along with two unfamiliar ones.

Gohan felt anger rush into his veins as he slammed his chopsticks onto the table, growling when he was more sure that he knew who it was. His brother whimpered, shrinking back into his chair, thinking he had done something wrong as Gohan was glaring at end if the table where the little boy sat.

"Gohan-" Chi-Chi began, but cut herself off once Gohan stood and rushed to the door. She was about to plead with him to leave her little boy alone. Gohan slammed the front door open, first squinting as the sunlight hurt his eyes, but then glared at the three figures standing in front of him. He recognized one of these figures. Gohan couldn't believe it. Why was he of all people here? And why now?

The three fighter reappeared in front of a little Capsule house in the middle of a forest. Goku smiled, taking in the smell of the trees, grass and flowers that surrounded his old home. Man, it felt great being back. What the three fighters wasn't expecting, was for the front door to slam open and an angry teen to be standing in the doorway. The room behind him loomed darkly, adding to the effect and feel the boy was giving off. The three warriors could practically feel the emotion rolling off of the boy in waves. A number of emotions flashed in his dull eyes before settling on two. Anger and hatred. Pure hatred. The boy now gave off an almost creepy vibe with the dark room behind him, angry look on his face, vicious glare and look of pure hatred that shown in his eyes. Goku was slightly taken aback by this, but nevertheless, greeted his son with a wide smile, about to verbally greet him as well.

"What are you doing here?" The boy asked, his voice cold.

"It's good to see you, too, son" Goku replied sarcastically.

Gohan growled in anger and frustration, sensing his mother and brother nearing the door, he sighed and stepped out of the way, allowing the two to exit the house.

"Goku?" Chi-Chi asked, shock clearly written on her face. She had been the first to exit the house

"It's good to see you again, Chi-Chi," Goku spoke softly.

"Daddy!" Goten yelled, running and tackling his father in a hug. Goku let himself be tackled and fall to the ground for the little boy's amusement.

"Hey there, little guy!" Goku laughed, happily tickling his youngest son. Chi-Chi soon joined her husband and son on the ground, tickling both of her boys. Gohan leaned against a wall, his heart clenching at the beautiful moment. Why can't he ever be a part of such a happy and memorable moment? That's all he really ever wanted.

Pikkon smiled a small smile at the family playing on the ground. Goku had, of course, told him all about his two children and wife Chi-Chi. Goku even told him that Goten looked a lot like the full blooded saiyan, however, Pikkon hadn't expected Goten to look so much like his father. But what shocked him the most, was Gohan's behavior. Sure, Goku told him that he and his oldest son were having a little issue, but he hadn't expected the boy to be so negative towards his father. According to Goku, Gohan was the kindest, sweetest most gently person he ever knew.

"So, you must be Gohan. I've heard quite a lot about you," Pikkon spoke, attempting to make eye contact with the teen.

"Wish I could say the same to you," Gohan replied, briefly glaring at his family. Goten and Chi-Chi had stopped laughing and playing with Goku the moment Pikkon had spoke the boy's name.

Gohan turned his attention back to Pikkon, his gaze traveling over the fighters body before he finally made eye contact. Pikkon nearly froze at the amount of anger that resided in those dull eyes. Gohan broke that eye contact, his gaze this time running over Olibu.

"Guys, this is my family, Chi-Chi, Goten and Gohan," Goku said, briefly pointing to everyone before he stood, helping Chi-Chi to her feet.

"And this is Pikkon and Olibu, they're my friends from Otherworld," Goku said, excitement clearly heard in his voice. Gohan briefly nodded to both fighters before turning and walking to the house.

"Gohan! Don't be rude!" Chi-Chi yelled. She flinched and nearly cowered behind Goku when Gohan stopped and looked at her from over his shoulder. Goten whimpered, hiding behind his father's legs. Goku frowned at this. Why was Chi-Chi and Goten suddenly so afraid of Gohan? Did Gohan do something to hurt them? Gohan glared at his mother from over his shoulder. Oh, so now that his father was back, she was suddenly brave enough to actually get a good look at him, never mind scold him. Gohan scoffed, did she really think that Goku would be enough to stop him if he ever decided to hurt her? No, he'd probably kill Goku right before her very eyes, to show her, to prove to her that not even the mighty Goku was enough to stop him. Then he'd probably kill Goten, he'd laugh hysterically as he ripped the little boy's entrails out and force-

Gohan shook his head, ridding himself of his violent thoughts. Sighing, Gohan pinched the bridge of his nose before he continued on into the house, not paying any attention to anything other than the thought of just going to his room. He needed relief and he needed it now.

Olibu felt a shiver run up his spine. There was a certain blood thirsty air around Gohan, but that can't be right. Olibu can't believe that this was Goku's son.

"Chi-Chi? What was that about?" Goku asked, though the question was promptly ignored.

"Are you hungry? I just made breakfast, come on in!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, hesitantly glancing into the house before entering it more confidently. Once he noticed that his mother went inside, Goten stepped out from behind his father's legs and smiled up at Pikkon and Olibu.

"Goten? What just happened, son?" Goku asked, kneeling down so that he could be more Goten's height.

"Well, you see, dad, uhm, we- I-I'm scared of him, dad!" Goten yelled, his eyes quickly welling up with tears as a fearful looked flashed over his face. Goku was shocked.

"Scared?! Why?! You know just as well as I do that your brother won't hurt you!" Goku yelled, slightly angered by the thought.

"B-but he hurt mom! He almost killed us, daddy!" Goten yelled. Oh, so this was because of what happened when Buu attacked?

"It's in the past, Goten. Don't you remember? Gohan saved us from Majin Buu! He even saved you and Trunks from that monster in the arena!" Goku exclaimed, trying to change the boy's mind.

"But who's going to save him from the monster he's becoming?" Goten asked, his expression serious. It was silent. Goku was confused. What was Goten talking about? Goku stared at his youngest son's face. Worry was shining brightly in the little boy's eyes, though his expression was still very serious.

"I don't know, son. I don't know,"


	4. Chapter 4

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Goku sighed, still kneeling next to his youngest son, his head bowed in thought. Goten's words were ringing through his mind. Sighing, Goku rubbed a hand over his face, before putting on a bright smile for his son.

"Why don't you go get some breakfast? I'll be right there, okay?" Goku suggested.

"Okay!" Goten yelled, running inside the house.

Goku stood up straight, absentmindedly staring at the little Capsule house.

"Goku, you need to sort out things between yourself and your son," Pikkon said, slightly worried.

"I agree, your son is on a dangerous path," Olibu spoke.

"I know, but we should get him to the Grand Kai before I have a talk with him, it might not end up going so well," Goku said, his expression serious. The three warriors nodded in agreement before entering the house.

"Man! I'm starving!" Goku exclaimed loudly.

"When are you not hungry, Goku?" Olibu asked, laughing lightly at his friend. Goku laughed, rubbing the back of his neck before he suddenly turned serious.

"Hey, Chi-Chi? Think you could call the others? Ask them to come here? There's something serious going on," Goku asked.

"Sure Goku, I'll get right on it," Chi-Chi replied, she knew that something must be coming for Goku to be so serious, she just hoped that they could handle it, she thought as she went to the phone, quickly calling all of their friends.

"Where's Gohan?" Goku asked once Chi-Chi came back to the dinner table. Tension filled the air at the mention of the teen. Goku noticed this and frowned, placing his chopsticks down to stare at his wife, his food temporarily forgotten.

"Chi-Chi? What's going on? Why are you so afraid of Gohan?" The saiyan asked, wanting to find out what the problem was.

"Oh, it's nothing! Your food is getting cold!" Chi-Chi brushed him off. Goku frowned, but decided to continue eating anyway, he'll try to ask again later.

Gohan sat silently in his room, he could clearly hear the conversation downstairs. Something serious, huh? Must be a new threat, that would explain why his father was here in the first place. Gohan made another cut on his arm, this one a little deeper than usual. Both of his arms were littered in cuts and covered in blood, the red, sticky liquid dripping down onto the floor. Gohan was absentmindedly staring out of the window, not paying much attention to his surroundings.

It wasn't until he could sense nearly everyone of the Z warriors that he snapped out of his daze. Gohan quickly whiped the blood from his arms and the floor, hastily stuffing the razor blade he had just used back into the drawer before he sat down once again.

"So, who's going to go call Gohan?" Krillin asked nervously, briefly forgetting that Goku was back. The three deceased warriors observed the group closely, noticing how nearly everyone shot nervous glances at each other. The only people who weren't afraid of Gohan were Piccolo and Vegeta, but neither of these warriors were here yet. Vegeta had gone to get Piccolo and they have yet to arrive.

"I'll go," Trunks said, putting up a brave font.

"What?! Trunks, no!" Bulma exclaimed, grabbing onto her son with a deathly grip.

"Mom! It's just Gohan, he won't hurt me," Trunks said, though the boy didn't sound so sure of himself.

"I'll go with him, if it makes you feel better," Olibu spoke up, stepping forward. Bulma nodded as Trunks grinned. The purple haired boy had taken a quick liking to Olibu as Goten almost instantly got attached to Pikkon.

"Alright! I'll lead the way! Follow me!" Trunks said excitedly, laughing as Olibu followed after the boy. Trunks continued laughing and talking with the blond male until they stood a few feet from Gohan's bedroom door, Trunks was frozen to his spot.

It was dark around the door, despite it being very light in the house. Just staring at that door sent chills up Trunks' spine. Olibu looked down, instantly noticing the boy's nerves. Trunks felt someone staring at him, nearly crying out because he thought it was Gohan. Looking up quickly, Trunks let out a relieved breath once he noticed that it was only Olibu, who gave him a reassuring smile. Not wanting to look like a wuss in front of the other warrior, Trunks took a few hesitant steps forward, stopping once he reached the door. Knocking, Trunks waited a few moments before he opened the door with shaking hands. Gohan's room was quite a lot darker then the rest of the house, even though his curtains were wide open.

"H-hey, G-Gohan! Uh, y-your dad is c-calling you!" Trunks stuttered, mentally scolding himself for sounding so scared. Gohan looked over his shoulder, instantly recognizing Trunks and Olibu in his doorway.

"I'm coming," Gohan said, his voice a lot softer than Trunks and Olibu had expected. The two turned and walked away, though Olibu stayed behind a few more seconds, staring at the teen that sat in his chair, alone. The room smelled of blood, though the blond male wasn't entirely sure if it was fresh or old. Brushing it off, Olibi left and walked in the direction he and Trunks had come from. Gohan sighed tiredly, feeling more drained than ever. He just wanted to collapse on his bed and sleep, instead he dragged himself out of his room and down the hall, stopping a few times when he felt dizzy. Once Gohan came into the kitchen, he noticed that everyone was outside. He could sense Piccolo was there as well.

Gohan squinted at the bright sunlight, standing in the doorway as nearly everyone tensed at his arrival. He sighed silently, he was too tired for this. He couldn't even bring himself to glare at his father. So, Gohan settled for leaning against a wall, staring at the grass absentmindedly.

"S-so what's this about a new threat?" Yamcha asked, stuttering slightly.

"In Otherworld, Pikkon and I faced a new enemy, he was really powerful. He's the reason why we're here. He has caused the dimensional barriers to collapse, there's nothing keeping the dead from coming here," Goku explained shortly.

"Okay, but why would you need all of us?" Krillin asked curiously.

"What I'm saying is that all the dead will become alive again if we don't stop this! As in Freeza, the Ginyu Force, Cell, everyone! We don't even know if they've gotten stronger or not," Goku said, anger in his voice.

"Wait Cell? He's the one who-" Trunks started, but cut himself off as he looked at Gohan. Everyone turned their attention to Gohan, who didn't seem to have taken notice of anything Goku had said.

Gohan had heard everything, he just couldn't bring himself to care at that moment, the grass was far more interesting. Worried, Goku stepped forward.

"Gohan? Son?" He asked, lightly touching Gohan's neck. The teen looked up when he was touched, staring into the concerned eyes of his father.

"Hhmm?"

"There's someone in Otherworld who wants to meet you," Goku said softly, a small, reassuring smile on his lips.

"Oh," was all Gohan said, not really caring as he bowed his head back down to stare at the grass once more.

"The Grand Kai is the one who wants to meet you, will you come?" Pikkon asked, trying to be just as gentle as Goku. Gohan only nodded, not really all that interested.

"Alright, let's go! C'mon, you guys can come, too!" Goku yelled, excited to see why exactly the Grand Kai wanted to meet his oldest son specifically.


	5. Chapter 5

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Gathering around, Goku was quick to search for the four Kai's before he disappeared with the entire group. The four Kai's nearly fell over from fright because of the groups sudden appearance.

"Hey, King Kai!" Goku greeted, smiling brightly. Gohan paled considerably, nearly vomiting right where he stood. Oh, that grass looked inviting. Gohan lightly shook his head, breathing in deeply to calm himself, just barely catching the end of Goku's introductions.

"-my younger son, Goten, and this is Gohan," Goku said, placing a hand on Gohan's shoulder.

"Guys, this is King Kai, South Kai, West Kai, East Kai and that is the Grand Kai!" Goku introduced excitedly.

Gohan took this opportunity to look over King Kai, the man who had trained his father for when the saiyans had arrived. Slowly, a glare settled onto Gohan's features as the four Kai's began arguing. Gohan could feel the beginning of what would be a migraine if they don't SHUT UP! Gohan's Ki spiked as he was just about ready to kill everyone, when suddenly the West Kai was in his face.

"Humph, I don't believe that this was the same energy we felt earlier, this boy is way to weak!" The Kai said, instantly being dragged into an argument with King Kai. Gohan sighed, lightly messaging his temples.

"Oh it's him alright," the Grand Kai spoke up for the first time.

"B-but Grand Kai-" West Kai started to protest, but was cut off.

"He's just hiding his true power, aren't you?" The Grand Kai asked.

Gohan could only stare at the man blankly, nodding slowly, not knowing how to react otherwise.

"Come on, why don't you show us your true strength, come with me," the Grand Kai said, gesturing for the group to follow him. Curiously, everyone followed after the old man. They reached an area much like the arena back on earth, however, the stands were covered in odd creatures. Many fighters stood along the sides of the fighting ring, though they didn't look more human than the people or creatures in the stands. The spectators cheered loudly once the group entered the area.

"Alright," the Grand Kai started, quickly glancing at Gohan, who was off staring at the other fighters, not paying attention to what the group was doing.

"Pikkon, I want you to fight Gohan," the Grand Kai said.

"What?! But I want to fight him!" Goku protested.

"I know you do, Goku, but I don't know what your son is going to do once your in the ring with him. Pikkon is the only one strong enough to go up against you, so I'm sending him in instead," The Grand Kai explained.

"What do you mean by that?" Goku asked, confused.

"Your son holds a great deal of hatred towards you, so he might just kill you, and we know what happens when you die again if your already dead, right," the Grand Kai spoke, shocking nearly everyone there.

Turning, the Grand Kai quickly spoke to the announcer before walking away and taking his seat, excited to watch this battle.

"Alright! The Grand Kai wants a random match! Pikkon and Gohan, please come to the ring!" The announcer called into his microphone. Gohan glanced at the Grand Kai, not having expected the man to want him to fight. The teen sighed, not really feeling up to fighting. Stepping onto the ring, his gaze still travelled around the whole area, he was unusually distracted today. Pikkon watched the boy, already waiting for him on the fighting ring. The boy kept looking around, much like his father would, except, when there was a fight, Goku wouldn't get distracted so easily. Pikkon frowned, could this boy really be that strong? Goku would often tell Pikkon about the boy's hidden power and that it would only be unleashed when he was backed into a corner. Smirking, Pikkon started formulating a plan. He knew that the Grand Kai wanted Gohan's true hidden powers to be unleased, Pikkon just had to figure out how.

Gohan's gaze finally came to rest on Pikkon, noticing how the green man was smirking. Gohan stared blankly, occasionally blinking as he sighed, placing a hand on his hip, he used the other to rub at his stiff neck. He needed a good nights sleep.

"Focus Gohan!" Goku yelled from where he stood off to the side of the ring, scared that something might happen to his son. Gohan sighed again, he'd been doing so a lot lately. The floor looked so inviting, he could just lay down and sleep for years. Gohan was staring at the floor absentmindedly, not paying attention to what was going on.

"Alright! Let the match begin!" The announcer shouted, watching excitedly. Pikkon took on his fighting stance, staring at Goku's son, waiting for the boy to make a move. Pikkon watched as Gohan stared at the floor, completely dazed. Pikkon frowned, was this kid trying to make a joke out of him? Fine, he'll just have to make the first move. Pikkon charged at Gohan, watching as the child focused on him to late, a shocked look on the boy's young face as Pikkon punched him, sending the boy flying backwards.

Gohan skidded to a halt at the very edge of the ring, his head hanging off the side. Gohan lay there, motionless. Pikkon frowned, that couldn't have knocked the boy unconscious, could it? Gohan closed his eyes, taking deep breaths, feeling an overwhelming amount of anger bubble in his chest, his blood boiling. A sudden hatred for Pikkon rose within him. Huh, wonder where that came from. Oh wait, probably because the man attacked him without warning! He though they were friends now! Or at least acquaintances!

"Was Gohan knocked out?" The announcer asked.

The Z warriors stood staring in shock. Gohan couldn't have lost so quickly, could he?

Gohan sat up slowly, ignoring the people who were cheering as he started to stand, a vicious glare on his face. Pikkon was slightly taken aback at the sudden change, but nevertheless, took on his battle stance once again. Gohan quickly raised his power, but not much, just enough to turn into a super saiyan.

"So, you transform as well?" Pikkon asked, though his question was ignored. An angry growl made itself known as Gohan was slowly losing his fight against his anger. He had to get control over himself, he didn't want to destroy everything.

"You know, you're a lot like your father," Pikkon spoke, wanting it to sound like a compliment.

A crazed look flashed in Gohan's eyes.

"I'm nothing like that man," Gohan said, voice cold as he tilted his head to the side, eyes wide as a sinister smile settled on his lips. The look Gohan was giving him, actually sent chills up his spine. Note to self, DO NOT in ANY way, compare Gohan to his father, EVER! Gohan rushed forward suddenly, nearly catching Pikkon off guard. He punched for the man's face, though he was blocked. He made a move to kick the man in his side, but that was blocked, too. Frustrated, Gohan kept punching and kicking at the man blindly, controlled by his anger. Gohan managed a few hits, but most of his attack were dodged or blocked. Pikkon kicked Gohan, hard. The boy was sent flying backwards a few feet, stopping himself in time to receive a punch to his face. Gohan was so caught off guard, that he couldn't block or dodge the onslaught of attacks. Pikkon crossed his hands and hit Gohan at the back of his head, causing the boy to crash into the arena floor, a small crater created by his body

"He's not so strong, Pikkon will beat him in no time!" West Kai said, staring rather smugly at the scene before him. King Kai ignored him, he was worried for Gohan. What was wrong with the boy? He was to distracted.

"If you ask me, he's not even close to Goku's standards," East Kai said as she watched Pikkon land a few feet away from the teen. Gohan had heard their conversation and had to restrain himself from rushing over there and beating the life out of that woman. He couldn't remember which Kai she was. North Kai? No wait, that's King Kai. East Kai? Never mind, Gohan didn't care. He sat up slowly once again, resting his left knee on the ground, his left hand holding onto that legs thigh. He was resting his right forearm on his right leg, which was raised, his weight mostly rested on his right foot.

Gohan panted, squinting at Pikkon. He was tired, that drained feeling a lot stronger now. He had to fight himself to keep his super saiyan form and to stay awake. His face was twitching in pain, body shaking. He felt so weak. Pikkon watched the boy for a moment before shooting off five powerful Ki blasts, this was it. Gohan's eyes widened, crossing his arms in front of his face, he clenched his eyes shut, waiting for the pain that would surely come with the blasts. After a few moments, he lowered his arms, shocked to find a Ki blast right in front of him. Frowning, eyes slightly wide, he turned. One to his right and one to his left. Twisting his body, he could see one behind him as well. Counting the amount he could see, there were four, but wasn't there five? Momentarily confused, realization crossed over his features. Tilting his head back, he could see one above him. So, Pikkon was going to attack him from every direction? He couldn't dodge these attacks, they were way to close together, but he couldn't let them hit him, they were far to powerful, it would cause to much damage to his body. Panicked, Gohan's gaze turned to his friends and family, watching as they stared at his situation, worried looks on their faces. Krillin was trying to hold himself back from jumping onto the ring and helping Gohan, his father not much different. Vegeta was clenching his teeth in anticipation. The rest stared on in fear and worry. So, they really still care after all?


	6. Chapter 6

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Goten was hiding his head in his mother's legs, not really wanting to see his brother get hurt. He might be scared of his big brother, but he still cared for the teen, he didn't want his big brother getting hurt. Looking past his mother's legs, he could see the situation Gohan was in. This wasn't going to end well. Gohan was wracking his brain, trying to figure out what to do. There wasn't much time as he watched Pikkon hold out his hand, fingers spread far apart. Feeling his heartbeat faster, he very nearly called out and quit the match, but it was too late. Pikkon closed his hand into a tight fist, the Ki blasts following and approaching Gohan. This was it. He was going to die. Again

"Big brother, no!" Goten yelled out at the last second.

"Gohan!" Goku and Piccolo yelled out, covering their eyes when the Ki blasts exploded, a bright light flashing over the entire area. Smoke and rubble were falling around, settling to reveal Gohan, just barely managing to stay on his feet. Gohan looked down, noticing his entire body covered in blood. Gohan collapsed forward, just barely managing to catch himself, falling onto his hands and knees. Pikkon felt his heart sink a little. Okay, so that didn't work, what now?

"Oh, Gohan," Chi-Chi said softly, her hands clasped near her heart. Bulma was covering her mouth with her hands, why didn't Gohan block that attack.

"Gohan!" Goku screamed, making a move to jump onto the ring, but was stopped by Piccolo. Krillin was frozen to his spot, not knowing what to do.

"N-no," Trunks stuttered, scared that Gohan might just die.

"What are you doing Piccolo?! I have to save him!" Goku yelled.

"Just wait! Gohan's fine, just hurt," Piccolo answered. The four Kai's stood staring, what just happened? King Kai could feel his heart nearly leap out of his chest as the boy's arms shook under his own weight, eyes clenched shut in pain. What was Pikkon thinking?! He could have killed Gohan!

Gohan panted harshly, pain spreading through his entire body. It hurt to breathe, but Gohan didn't want to give up, not yet! Get up! Gohan was mentally shouting to himself to get up, that he looked weak in front of all these people.

"You should give up, you're in no condition to continue this fight," Pikkon said, not wanting to continue and maybe even kill the boy. Gohan glared at the green man, taking a deep breath, he stood, his legs shaking. This reminded him of how he felt when he fought against Cell. He needed to tap into his hidden power, but he was scared, he might kill Pikkon. But, that's exactly what the man wanted. He wanted Gohan to release his hidden power, the Grand Kai wanted it as well. Even the four Kai's were watching in anticipation. A small voice in the back of his head called out, reminding him that his father and Piccolo were watching and he didn't want to let them down. Though, he didn't necessarily want to make them proud, he just couldn't get rid of that small part of his old self. Always wanting to make his mentor and father proud. Well, he's about to do just that.

Taking a deep breath, Gohan spread his legs, crying out in pain as he raised his arms, clenching his hands into fists. Taking deep breaths, Gohan began to raise his power. The earth started shaking as he screamed, this was really hurting his body, but he had to do it. The crater in which he stood, grew deeper at the force of his power. Pikkon's eyes widened slightly. This boy, a mere child, held so much power and he was still gaining more! At this rate, Pikkon wouldn't stand a chance against the boy. As Gohan reached further for his hidden power, he started to feel faint, deciding that he should stop there, he stood straight, a frown on his face as he stared at Pikkon. He had ascended into super saiyan 2 form, however, he hadn't completely unleased the power that came along with it.

Taking on a battle stance, Pikkon watched Gohan closely, trying to think what the boy might do. Gohan felt his arm twitch, he was in so much pain and losing quite a lot of blood. If he didn't finish this fight soon, he might just faint. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see both Trunks and Goten cheering for him, hanging of the edge of the ring. In fact, all his friends and family were cheering for him, his mother screaming at him to beat Pikkon. Turning his head to look at them completely, he could see that none of them even tensed at his gaze. His face softened, a small smile forming on his lips as he closed his eyes briefly, making him seem younger. Turning his attention back to Pikkon, he prepared himself to attack, though this time, he wasn't going to let his anger get the better of him, he was going in with a clear mind.

Chi-Chi nearly cried when Gohan smiled at them, his eyes had been so full of sadness. She realizes that what they have been doing wasn't right, but that fear at the back of her mind was preventing her from treating her eldest son the way she used to. He had nearly killed her and Goten, but somewhere in her heart, she knew it wasn't really her son, he had been so emotionally unstable that he didn't know what he was doing. He was so hurt and alone. For over seven years the only people to have been able to see him, were two children. Chi-Chi was aware that Gohan had lost his memories for a long time, but somewhere in the day that Goku came back, he had gotten them back. She knew now that her son needed love, but she has yet to give it to him. Silently, she promised herself that from now on, she was to smother her baby boy with love.

Gohan took in a deep breath before rushing at Pikkon, arm ready to strike. Pikkon managed to block the attack, but didn't notice the kick Gohan landed until it to late. The kick caused Pikkon to fly backwards, stopping himself, he and Gohan threw numerous kicks and punches. Pikkon dodging and blocking more than Gohan. The teen briefly paused, raising his power a little more before attacking Pikkon again. A powerful kick to the side sent Pikkon propelling to the ground, but he managed to stop himself from hitting the ground. Charging a powerful Ki blast, Pikkon panted lightly, this boy was strong. Sending the Ki blast to Gohan, he watched as the boy made no move to block or dodge.

At the last moment, Gohan fazed out, appearing behind Pikkon and hitting the man at the back of his neck, catching him off guard. Turning, Pikkon swung his fist, though Gohan ducked and punched the man in his stomach. The wind left Pikkon to quickly for his liking, spit mixed with a little blood falling from his mouth. Gohan repeatedly punched Pikkon in his stomach, chest and face. Spinning, Gohan landed a powerful kick to Pikkon's face, sending the man flying out of the ring and crashing into the wall by the stands with the spectators. It was silent for a moment before cheering erupted from the crowd once Pikkon fell forward, landing on his stomach before he pushed himself up. Gohan closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself down and let go of his super saiyan form.

"Amazing! Pikkon is out of the ring! Gohan wins!" The announcer shouted, causing the crowds cheering to grow even louder. Gohan smiled a small smile, closing his eyes again. Breathing deeply, he tried to calmly walk off of the ring.

"That's my baby boy!" Chi-Chi cheered, pushing passed her friends and running up to Gohan. The teen panted, watching as his mother came rushing to him. He grunted in pain once she latched onto him, hugging him tightly, though Gohan ignored the pain and enjoyed the hug, returning the affectionate gesture.

"You did great, Gohan!" Krillin congratulated, smiling widely at the boy. Everyone temporarily forgot about their fear for the boy.

"Good fight, we should fight again sometime," Pikkon said, briefly brushing dust and rubble from his clothes before offering the teen a smile.

"Sure," Gohan answered, rubbing the back of his neck with a small smile.

"That was great, Gohan!" King Kai shouted.

Gohan turned, watching as the Grand Kai walked over to him.

"Heh heh, I'd like to train you, once your dead of course," the Grand Kai laughed. Gohan smiled, though he couldn't make out what the man was saying. His vision blurred before doubling, the pain intensifying as his hearing went weak, sounding as if he were listening from under a mass of water. Gohan's eyes rolled to the back of his head as his body collapsed.

Chi-Chi watched in shock as Gohan's body went limp, quickly snapping out of it, she rushed forward and and caught his body, just as it collapsed.

"Oh, my poor baby!" She shouted as she cradled the boy in her arms.

"Don't worry, he's just exhausted," Pikkon reassured.

Chi-Chi sighed in relief, brushing Gohan's hair out of his face.

"Alright, you all should get back to earth, who knows when Janemba would show himself, not to mention those bunch in hell," The Grand Kai said.

"Alright, see you guys later!" Goku yelled as everyone that needed to go to earth gather around him. Chi-Chi, still cradling Gohan, held out her hand for Goten to take.

Disappearing, they reappeared outside of Goku's house.

"We should probably get him to bed so that he could get some rest," Chi-Chi spoke.

"Here, I'll take him," Goku offered, stepping forward. He scooped up Gohan's body, smiling as the boy shifted, resting his head on Goku's chest. Slowly, while still staring at Gohan's face, Goku walked into the house, careful not to trip and fall. Pushing Gohan's bedroom door open with his foot, Goku stepped into the dark room. Gently placing the boy on the bed, he covered Gohan with a few blankets before standing straight, staring lovingly at the boy for a few moments before he turned and left the room, softly closing the door behind him. He needed to sort things out with Gohan, before things got out of hand. He wanted to spend some quality time with the boy before he left. He just hoped that Gohan would forgive him.


	7. Chapter 7

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Chi-Chi hummed quietly to herself as she and Bulma prepared lunch. She was feeling happy. She hadn't felt this much happiness in over eight years. It was before the Cell Games, those few days that Goku and Gohan were home after training in the Hyperbolic time chamber. This was very close to the happiness she had felt back then, however, she wishes it was exactly the same. She wishes a lot of the time that she could just turn back time and do things differently. Prevent Gohan from going to that battle, or maybe even Goku, or better yet, both of them, anything to just change the way things turned out. No, what she really needed was to slap her past self in the face and scream at her that her baby boy was hurting. In a way, this was partially her fault. If only she had given the boy the love and attention he needed, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have taken his own life and perhaps, Gohan wouldn't be so angry at Goku. At everyone. Yes, she should have been able to see her child's pain, I mean, it's a mother's duty, is it not?

Chi-Chi stopped what she was doing, absentmindedly staring at the wall, clutching a knife in her shaking hand. She should have seen it, she always acted as though she was the perfect parent, but look what happened. She had been so caught up in her own selfish desires that she neglected her son. Oh, God! Did he even eat right?! Was his hungry saiyan stomach at least full when he went to bed? She can't remember. She can't even remember if her own son ate properly. What the hell is wrong with her?! How could she? She can't even remember if he kept up with his studies! She had been so caught up preparing for Goten that she just can't seem to remember these things.

"Chi-Chi?" Bulma asked softly, noticing her friend's violent shaking.

"I can't even remember if he ate properly!" Chi-Chi cried, clutching the knife tightly before letting it fall, collapsing to her knees as she cried into her hands. The sudden movement of her friend collapsing scared Bulma for a moment, the blue haired woman rushing forward.

"Chi-Chi!" Bulma yelled, thinking something horrible has happened. Noticing the commotion, the Z warriors rushed to the entrance of the house.

"Chi-Chi! What-" Goku cut himself at the scene that greeted him. Bulma was hugging Chi-Chi, who was crying uncontrollably, her small form shaking.

"He was breaking apart and I can't even remember if he ate!" Chi-Chi cried, mostly repeating her previous statement.

Chi-Chi's cries were heart wrenching, cutting into even Vegeta's heart. Pikkon and Olibu had rushed in right after Goku, having expected that the women were being attacked. Goku had always told them how strong Chi-Chi is and the two have noticed it in the little while they have personally known her, so to see this though, nearly unbreakable woman, crying and shaking, breaking before their very eyes, was quite a shocker.

"Chi-Chi," Goku spoke softly, taking Bulma's place in hugging his wife. He could understand her pain, he was sure nearly everyone could as no one had noticed the boy's troubles. It was silent as Chi-Chi cried into her husband's chest, clutching at his gi top with her small fists. Goten stood in front of Vegeta and Yamcha who stood in the doorway, not understanding why his mother was crying. He had seen her cry before, but not like this. It was almost frightening for the little boy, seeing his mother, the strongest person in the world, break down about something he can't understand. Who was she talking about? Was it Gohan?

A few minutes of crying, Chi-Chi pulled back from Goku, whiping away her tears, she took a deep breath before standing up, back to her normal self.

"Alright, out of my kitchen! Goku, go check on Gohan and see if he's still asleep, please? Lunch is almost ready," Chi-Chi said, a smile on her face. Goku frowned, but nodded and exited the kitchen walking towards the stairs. He didn't like it when Chi-Chi did that. He knew she never gave herself the time to heal and mourn. She was still mourning Gohan's suicide from over eight years ago, because she never allowed herself to cry and heal back then. She had ignored her own emotional pain and instantly went back to being strong. She needed to cry, to heal her old wounds. Her doing this, was a lot like Gohan hiding his pain and heartache from everyone and not allowing anyone in to help. Looks like he not only needed to talk to Gohan, but to Chi-Chi as well.

Opening Gohan's bedroom door, Goku stepped inside and walked towards where his son lay, still sleeping peacefully. His right arm under his head as he his left rested in front of his face, his knees drawn a little closer his chest. He had managed to kick his blankets from his body and was now relying on his body heat to keep himself warm. A sad smile crossed over Goku's face. He had forced Gohan to grow up to quickly and not only managed to hurt the boy, but Chi-Chi and himself. They never got to see Gohan do some of the things normal children did. He never played in the woods, he never came home dirty. Oh, how Goku wished he could turn back time and do things differently. If he could, he wouldn't have resorted to sacrificing himself to defeat Raditz, he would have found another way. Instead he would have trained Gohan himself, or perhaps not at all.

He sees it now, it's a little late, but he realizes that Gohan was never made to be a fighter, he was far to gentle. Goku, himself, was gentle as well, but knew when it was necessary to kill an enemy. Gohan used to believe that you could change someone with words alone. He even tried it against Cell, but it didn't work and the boy was forced to violently deal with an enemy, alone. Goku sat on his son's bed, smiling as Gohan shifted slightly before settling down again. Goku ran his fingers through the soft, pitch black hair, watching as it stubbornly kept falling into the teen's face. Gohan's brow furrowed at the annoying feeling, briefly swatting at his father's hand before settling down once more. Goku sighed quietly as he stood, covering Gohan with the blankets again. Hesitating, Goku bent over, placing a gentle kiss to Gohan's forehead before turning and leaving the room.

Once downstairs, Goku watched silently as Chi-Chi chopped things quickly, practically a master chef. Bulma would occasionally give her friend worried glancing before returning to her own thing.

"Gohan's still asleep, should we wait for him?" Goku asked as he stepped into the room completely.

"I think so, I don't believe he should be asleep for much longer. In the meantime, we can spend some time together outside," Chi-Chi said, turning and giving a small smile to Goku who returned the gesture, leaving the two women alone in the kitchen.

"Hey, Goku. How's Gohan?" Krillin asked once his best friend sat next to him on the blanket spread out across the grass.

"Still asleep," Goku answered as he lay back, arms behind his head as he stared at the clouds. It was so peaceful.

Gohan sat up once his father left the room. He had been awake for quite some time now, though he chose to just lay around and rest. He had heard his mother's cries, though felt it was a stupid thing for her to have worried about. Sighing, Gohan stood, walking to his dresser and pulling out one of his razor blades. Gohan walked back to his chair, which still stood in front of his window. He pulled back the curtains, squinting at the sunlight shining into his previously dark room. Sitting down, Gohan propped his feet up on the windowsill, his hands resting in his lap. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get his mother's cries out of his head. The way she cried, Gohan doesn't remember a time he had ever heard the woman sound so heartbroken.

He wonders, does it really effect her as much as she leads on? No, his mother never was a person to cry or really do anything for sympathy or attention. She was strong and often chose not to show weakness like that, but recently her emotions were all over the place. And it was all thanks to him. Strange, he can't believe he actually broke the woman. She hasn't ever cried that much over one matter, not even when Goku died. Goku, his father acted strangely earlier when he came to check on Gohan. He had never before played with his hair nor did he kiss his forehead. Strange. Gohan looked down, not having noticed that he was slicing his wrists and arms the entire time he was lost in thought. Both his arms were covered in cuts and blood as well the floor, there was blood seemingly everywhere. Gohan didn't panic, though, the blood wasn't all that much more than it usually was. What he was worrying about though, was what he could sense outside. Not thinking clearly, Gohan sat up quickly, running out the door and down the stairs. This can't be happening, not now!


	8. Chapter 8

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Goku smiled, watching as Trunks and Goten sparred. Goten was getting a lot better, though Goku could notice that the boy received his training from Vegeta. The prince had tried to convince him to spar with the man, but Goku had declined, saying he wanted to save his strength for when the real fight began. Everyone was gathered around, sitting around on blankets, happily chatting and munching on some snacks Chi-Chi and Bulma had prepared while they wait for Gohan to wake up. Eighteen smiled as she watched Marron chase after a butterfly. Reacting quickly, Eighteen jumped and just barely managed to protect Marron from an oncoming Ki blast and it was powerful, too.

"No! Eighteen, Marron!" Krillin yelled, sighing in relief once he noticed that his wife and daughter were just fine. Goku glared up into the sky, noticing a group of alien like figures hanging in the air before they descended, landing gracefully in front of the Z warriors.

Goku clenched his fists, glaring at his previous enemies. Why now of all times, dammit where's Gohan?! Eighteen handed Marron to Bulma and Chi-Chi, asking them to take care of her daughter as the child cried for her mother. Eighteen looked over every enemy that stood before them. She didn't personally know all of them, but from what Krillin had told her she could just about recognize the people in front of her. From the left, a short green alien with four eyes stood. Guldo. Next to him, stood an alien with bright red skin and long white hair. Jeice. Next, was a rather large, more human like person with orange red hair. Racoome. A large blue lizard like being, Burter. Ginyu was the purple alien with horns. Freeza and his brother Cooler stood next to each other, looking very much alike. Cooler's henchman, Salsa, a blue alien with blond hair. Two human like beings, Raditz and Nappa, as she understood, they were also saiyans. And in the very middle of the group, stood the only enemy she personally recognized.

"Cell," someone called from behind the tense group of human warriors. Goku turned and looked over his shoulder, shocked at Gohan's appearance. The teen slowly walked to the front of the group, his hair a lot messier than usual, but most shocking of all, was that he was covered in blood. His arms and hands mostly, but there were a few random smudges on his face, neck and chest.

"Gohan," Krillin whispered, his horrified gaze following after the boy, stopping once the boy halted at the front of the group. He paled, noticing the cuts that littered Gohan's arms.

"Gohan! Well isn't this a nice surprise! It's been, what? Years? Since I last saw you and you haven't changed a bit," Cell spoke, chuckling to himself. Gohan stared blankly at the android, waiting for him to quiet down.

"I've been dead," Gohan said, voice holding no emotion.

Cell frowned slightly, looking the boy over. He was a little shocked to see the boy covered in blood.

"My, Gohan, you look like you've murdered someone with your bare hands," Cell smirked.

"Maybe I did, you don't know me," Gohan answered, his brow twitching in annoyance. Goku could only stare at his son, his eyes reflecting his shock and absolute horror. Did Gohan do this to himself? Goku was so distracted, he didn't notice Janemba appear behind the group of their enemies. Cell's smirk widened as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Alright then, I challenge you to a fight and if you refuse, I'll blow up the planet," Cell stated, staring at Gohan. He was convinced that after all his training in hell, that he was ready to finally get his revenge on Gohan, but what he wasn't expecting, was for the boy to be so different.

Gohan bowed his head, staring at the grass where his own blood was falling. Gohan raised his head, a sadistic smile on his face, complemented by the cold look on his face and already being covered in blood, Gohan looked slightly, if not a lot, crazed. Cell stared questioningly at the boy. The Gohan he had fought previously, would have instantly attacked him after he had threatened him. New plan then, threaten his family.

"Oh, I see, so you won't except my challenge? How about, if I threaten to torture your friends and family, mmm? Your baby brother?" Cell threatened, waiting almost anxiously for any type of response.

Gohan tilted his head, adding to the creepy feeling he was giving off.

Cell was getting frustrated now.

"Or I'll just kill Goku again, hmm? Last time your precious daddy died, you took it pretty hard, huh? Let's see how you'll react when I tear him limb from limb!" Cell yelled, finally gaining a reaction from Gohan, though not exactly one he was expecting. Gohan chuckled to himself, taking on a fighting stance. Goku snapped out of his daze, finally noticing Janemba.

"Gohan, no!" Goku yelled, gaining the teen's attention. Gohan raised a brow in question.

"I want you to fight Janemba, son. I'll take care of Cell," Goku said, trying to smile reassuringly at the boy, though it was hard seeing as Goku had noticed the cuts on Gohan's arms and could only assume that they were self-inflicted.

"You? Fight me? Last time we fought you couldn't even dream of defeating me! You had to force your own son to fight your battles for you! It's a little late to take responsibility now!" Cell yelled.

Gohan stared at his father's face, noticing how the man's dark eyes would sadden at Cell's words. There was something else along with that sadness. Guilt. Gohan fazed out and appeared behind Cell, the android turning in time to receive a kick to the face, sending him flying backwards. The force Gohan had used caused a strong wind to whip at the fighters as Cell flew between them, skidding to a stop a few feet away from the group of fighters. Gohan raised his hand, forming a powerful Ki blast in his hand and aiming it at the fallen android. His father yelled at him, telling him to leave Cell to him. Silently sighing, Gohan quickly moved his hand, shot the Ki blast at Freeza, it hitting the alien in the face. Cooler could inly laugh at this as Gohan fazed out once again, appearing in front of Janemba, he threw his leg out to kick the red alien, but it was blocked. Janemba raised his fist, aiming to punch Gohan in the stomach, though that was blocked as well. It would continue like this as the two raised from the ground, effectively starting the battle.

Trunks and Goten did their fusion dance, a bright light briefly flashing before the warrior rushed forward, choosing his enemy and attacking. Cooler just barely managed to block the child's powerful attack, smirking once they pulled apart and charged at each other, kicking, punching and dodging. Gotenks landed a powerful punch to the alien's face, sending Cooler rocketing back to earth where he crashed, but he didn't stay down for long as he almost instantly charged at Gotenks again. Pikkon briefly analyzed Freeza before attack the alien. Freeza slammed his tail on the ground before he dodged Pikkon, managing to knee the man in his stomach. His small victory was short lived as Pikkon punched him in his chin. Piccolo grunted as he was punched by Raditz and then kicked by Nappa. He twisted his body, slamming his foot into the side of the bald man's face, knocking the saiyan off balance long enough for Piccolo to manage an attack on Raditz.

Olibu smirked as he dodged an attack from Burter, jumping and kneeing the alien on his chin. Olibu turned, bending backwards as he dodged yet another attack, though this time from Ginyu. Olibu had luckily faced off against stronger enemies and with the help of Goku telling him and Pikkon about his previous fights with these enemies, he truly didn't believe that he had anything to worry about. He did keep an eye open for Ginyu's special technique. Vegeta smirked as he kicked Racoome into the ground. Last time he had faced the man, he was nearly beaten to death. This time, however, it was the other way around. Remembering what Krillin had told her, Eighteen chose her enemy, knowing she stood a chance of defeating him. Salsa smirked once he noticed that the blonde woman was eyeing him. This ought to be fun. Eighteen fazed out, appearing behind Salsa and kicking him in the back, catching the alien off guard. She flew after him, punching him as fast as she could, wanting to finish her fight with Salsa so that she could help Krillin

Goku stared, waiting for Cell as the android stood up slowly, whiping away blood that had dripped down his chin. He briefly glanced at the stain before smirking at Goku.

"That son of yours really has a bad temper, doesn't he?" Cell asked as he stretched his wings.

"No, he's just not very fond of me at the moment," Goku answered, anger slowly starting to rise in his chest.

"Oh? Well that's shocking. I remember clearly how distraught he was when you instant transmissioned us away, how heartbroken he was when he realized that your sacrifice was in vain," Cell said, wanting to aggravate the saiyan, though he was really just bringing the man down.

"I could literally see the life leave his eyes. Surely you noticed? They're not quite so bright anymore, are they? And those wounds on his arms? Clearly self-inflicted," Cell stated, laughing quietly to himself.

"I blame you for this, Cell," Goku said softly. Cell looked at him questioningly.

"I blame you for all of this! If it weren't for you, then I wouldn't have had to sacrifice my life and leave Gohan in the first place! If it weren't for you, then none of this would have happened!" Goku yelled, screaming as he quickly powered up before charging at the android, clearly angry.

Krillin cried out in pain when Jeice sent a particularly powerful blow to the back of his neck. He hoped that someone would hurry up and help him. He hadn't fought this tough a battle in years and it's safe to say, he has lost his touch. He could hear Eighteen shout for him as Jeice charged a powerful Ki blast, knowing himself, that was probably going to kill him. Just as it was sent to him, Krillin preparing himself for the impact, someone intervened, slapping the blast away. At first, Krillin thought it was Eighteen.

"Seventeen!" Eighteen yelled, happy to see her twin brother.

"Go help your friends, I got this," Seventeen told Krillin, nodding at the shorter me before launching an attack on the red alien. Krillin flew in to help Tien and Yamcha fight the smaller alien. Guldo might not look like much, but really, with his special abilities, he was quite the formidable foe.


	9. Chapter 9

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Gohan panted , his father really wasn't kidding when he said that Janemba was powerful, though he knew it was only so because Gohan couldn't seem to get a grip over himself. His power would continuously slip and weaken before suddenly powering back up and Janemba seemed to notice this. The alien was annoyed, the boy wasn't taking this seriously. No wait, he was distracted by something else. By what, Janemba didn't care, he just wanted the boy's full attention on him. Janemba moved forward quickly, managing a powerful kick to Gohan's chest, knocking the wind out of the demi saiyan. Elbowing the back of Gohan's head, sending him crashing into the earth, Janemba left him there, flying towards where the other battles were held. The red alien like creature signaled the others, not wanting to stay here. He was distracted, however, as a powerful Ki blast was sent his way. Dodging easily, Janemba turned and watched as Gohan flew up to him.

"We're not done here!" Gohan seethed, his anger taking control.

"It is. I'll see you when you're capable of fighting, Son Gohan," Janemba smirked as Gohan's eye twitched. The red alien disappeared, just in time to miss the powerful blast recklessly sent his way. Gohan turned, still angry, only to see that the other aliens had also disappeared. Gohan landed and angrily stormed over to the others, not noticing android Seventeen at that moment.

"We should go after them!" Gohan yelled, clenching his fists.

"Don't be stupid! You can't just rush in all reckless, you need a plan, your friends barely managed to make it out of this fight! How do you think they're going to survive when you rush in without resting and formulating a plan?" Seventeen said, not being able to sense Gohan's intense anger.

"I didn't ask you, android! Stay out of this, I don't trust you," Gohan seethed, his Ki flaring.

"What? Because I'm an android? Eighteen is an android and you trust her, don't you?" Seventeen asked.

"Your sister proved that she can be trusted, unlike you," Gohan clenched his teeth, his heart nearly beating out of his chest because of the previous hit Janemba had hit him with and his anger wasn't helping.

"It seems your friends and family trust me more than you, I mean look at you, covered in blood looking all murderous. They're scared of you and rightfully so. You're just another monster," Seventeen chuckled to himself, thinking the boy was still as strong as when he fought against Cell. If so, Seventeen could easily beat him. The android smirked at the thought, though it quickly slipped from his face when Eighteen yelled at him, panic clear in her voice.

"Seventeen! No!"

A tense silence filled the air as everyone watched Gohan, waiting for his response. Gohan's head was bowed, a shadow cast over his face. Those words, had cut deeply. A monster? Is that what he was? Gohan's anger doubled, all he wanted was protect his friends and family, what's so wrong with that? Gohan raised his head, a look of absolute fury on his face, an air of bloodlust around him. Slowly, he started walking towards Android Seventeen, completely prepared to kill the man and no one was going to stop him. Seventeen, oblivious to this, decided to ready himself for the fight, smirking at the challenge. Goku decided to intervene, wanting to stop his son's soon to be rampage. His friends and family were just starting to get comfortable around the boy, he didn't want it to be ruined again.

"Gohan, stop, don't do-" Goku touched Gohan's shoulder, but was cut off when the boy turned quickly, ramming his fist into the man's stomach. Blinding pain was all Goku felt as blood flew from his mouth. The force of the punch was so intense that Gohan's fist had broken through Goku's skin, impaling the man. Realization flashed in his eyes, but it was to late. Goku could see the emotions flashing in Gohan's eyes, the realization, regret and pain. Goku leaned forward, blood dripping from his mouth and onto Gohan's shoulder. Seventeen stood in shock, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. He hadn't expected this, at all.

"Kakarot!" Vegeta screamed, shocked that Gohan had done such a thing.

Goku watched as panic briefly flashed across the boy's face, before it was gone. Everything was gone. Not even the smallest hint of feeling. Gohan felt panicked, before everything disappeared, replaced by a strange feeling of being calm. Then, came the numbness. He didn't feel anything anymore.

Slowly, Gohan pulled his fist back, not paying the slightest bit of attention to Goku who collapsed forward, landing on his knees and clutching his wound with one hand, the other used to support himself. Gohan stared at his hand, covered in his own father's blood. He watched the red liquid drip down onto the grass below, a few droplets sliding down his arm. His arm was covered in dried blood. His own blood, now mixed with his father's.

"D-Daddy?" Goten stuttered, now more scared of his brother than ever. Gohan barely registered the words, giving a brief glance at the man before calmly walking away from the scene. The group parted for him, scattering as far away as possibly without possibly angering the boy. Gohan ignored everyone, he needed a shower. Calmly, he entered the house, not feeling anything.

"Goku!" Numerous voices called, running towards the fallen saiyan.

"Dende?!" Piccolo yelled, the smaller Namekian jumping out of his frozen state, running towards the fallen man. They were lucky that Dende was among them, having wanted to enjoy a last peaceful time with the entirety of the group. He also thought that his healing powers might be of use, and he was right. Goku sat back once Dende finished healing him, panting loudly.

"Kakarot, I know you want to be gently with the boy and all, but this has gone on long enough, I think I'll take over from here," Vegeta sneered.

"You should have been taking care of him when I left in the first place, Vegeta, you said you would! What the hell?!" Goku screamed, climbing to his feet. They stared in shock, Goku rarely, if ever, rose his voice to any of them.

"Why didn't any of you take care of him? You promised me!" Goku asked, his voice breaking. He watched as everyone looked away in guilt.

"If I didn't step in, he would have killed Seventeen!" Goku shouted once again.

"We're scared, okay?!" Krillin yelled back, surprising the others even more.

"This has gone on long enough! Yes, okay, Gohan nearly killed all of you, but that was when he just revealed himself as the boys' imaginary friend, their big brother, he was angry and felt forgotten. Besides, how many times did he save you to make up for that? First, he protected the boy's from Buu at the arena, then he saved all of you when Vegeta and I weren't there! He even defeated Buu at the cost of his own life, just to make sure all of you could be safe again! And even now, after all this time, the way you've been treating him, he's once again putting his life on the line, for you!" Goku yelled angrily.

Gohan stripped himself of his clothing, throwing them somewhere he doesn't remember. Stepping into the shower, Gohan ignored the water, which was extremely hot. He started rubbing at his body, trying to rid himself of the blood. Exhausted, he leaned forward, bloody hands pressed against the shower wall. Seventeen's words running through his head. Is that really what he is now? A monster, like Cell or Freeza? Did he belong in hell? Did he even deserve to be alive? Gohan felt his shoulders begin to shake at the thoughts running through his mind. He didn't know how long he stood there, shaking, trying to force his tears away. Still covered in blood, Gohan turned off the shower and dried himself off, covering the towel in most of the remaining blood, though his hands were still tinged red. Dressing in a new set of clothing, Gohan wrapped his arms around himself, his heart pounding in his chest.

It felt as though he were having a heart attack, though Gohan thought it was only because of recent events. Nearly killing his father. Images flashed in his mind, his dead father lying at his feet, the bloody bodies of his friends scattered around the ground, but most of all, the body of his little brother that was hanging limply in his hand, Gohan's fingers wrapped tightly around the little boy's neck. The images were enough to set him off. Gohan collapsed to the floor, slamming his back against the counter in the bathroom, a pain filled scream ripping from his throat, body shaking violently as he finally cried. He hadn't allowed himself to cry properly in years. Gohan felt exhausted, he just wanted to sleep and possibly never wake up.


	10. Chapter 10

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

They stood outside, staring to the side guiltily. It was true that they hadn't exactly kept their promises to Goku, but the boy also pushed everyone away. Piccolo, in particular had tried his hardest to get through to Gohan, but nearly got killed when he pushed the teen to far, one of the main reasons why most of them were afraid of Gohan. Chi-Chi felt worst of all. She was supposed to be his mother, but she was to scared to overcome her own fears and love the boy. From the very beginning, Gohan didn't grow up in the best of homes. He was constantly forced to study, something he didn't necessarily like, but had to study through all of his parents' fights. It was true, Goku and Chi-Chi would fight constantly, yelling and screaming. Chi-Chi had often caught Gohan crying and praying for his parents to stop fighting when she waited for him to get ready for bed so that she could tuck him in. The little boy would often have nightmares that one of his parents would leave, but he convinced himself that he could just wait it out and that everything would be fine. That only happened, when, unfortunately, Goku died and Gohan was taken by Piccolo, forced into doing something else he didn't like. From there on, nothing was ever the same again.

Gohan often dreamed of peace and held onto that dream, even as he watched his world, his life, crumble down. All the battles and wars Goku fought, the man meant well, but left behind a small boy who screamed at his daddy to save him instead of the world, but it didn't seem like Goku had heard and Gohan watched his father leave him behind, leaving him in a broken home, that he had to somehow fix, but couldn't. Gohan meant well, just like his father, he wanted to save everyone and not let anyone feel left behind, but was rewarded by scared looks and no thank you's. Chi-Chi was ripped from her thoughts when a scream echoed from inside the house. That scream, it was filled with so much pain and heartache. Chi-Chi watched as everyone stood frozen, but broke out of it as Vegeta stormed into the house, thinking it was finally time to take over and teach that boy a lesson.

Goku ran after Vegeta, followed closely behind by Olibu and Pikkon. The rest stood frozen a few moments longer before rushing behind. Gohan could sense the prince rushing up the stairs and quickly stood up, throwing himself at the door to block the man's entrance. A door could easily be kicked down, but with Gohan leaning and using all his strength to keep the door up, it won't be that easy. Gohan began shaking from fear, his tears still rolling down his cheeks. He could hear Vegeta outside, first rattling the door handle before banging against it's surface.

"Open up, boy! It's time I taught you a lesson!" Vegeta called through the door. Gohan's shaking became more severe, he knew that Vegeta was using that as an excuse to just beat him up and not teach him a lesson.

"Vegeta! Stop this, now!" Goku yelled. Gohan breathed a small breath of relief, so his father was alright?

"Someone has to do something and since your allowing your own son to go around, threatening people and nearly killing you, it seems I have to be the one to do something," Vegeta explained, anger in his voice.

"What are you going to do? Beat him into a bloody mess? You know I won't allow you to do that," Goku said sternly.

"If I have to, Kakarot, I'll even kill the boy," Vegeta said, another loud bang on the door.

"I won't allow you to do that to my son!" Chi-Chi's voice could be heard yelling. Some shuffling noises and Vegeta cursing that 'damned woman', Gohan could hear his mother's soft voice through the door, gentle in only the way a mother could speak to a scared little boy.

"Gohan? Sweetie, I just want to talk," she said, her voice calming Gohan somewhat.

Silence greeted the woman, but she wasn't about to give up so easily.

"Aren't you hungry, sweetie? You didn't finish your breakfast and didn't have any lunch. Neither of us did, actually, we were waiting for you," Chi-Chi spoke, nearly in tears when she was ignored again.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, though the boy on the other side of the door could hear her clearly. Sorry? What for?

"I'm such a bad mother. I ignored you when you needed me the most. I promised myself that I wouldn't do it again, but here I am, this past year, I've been doing exactly that. Ignoring you and not giving you the love that you need. I'm so sorry, Gohan, I love you," she spoke, voice shivering as tears fell from her eyes. Gohan could feel his heart break into more pieces. She was feeling guilty about something she shouldn't be guilty over. He deserved it. Everything.

"Don't be sorry, mom. I deserved it. I don't even deserve those three words," came Gohan's broken voice, telling his mother his thoughts.

"What are you talking about, Gohan? Of course you deserve it. You deserve all the love this world has to offer. You're such a sweet boy," Bulma intervened, feeling the need to get some things off of her chest.

"No, I don't! A murderer doesn't deserve anything, but harsh treatment. And that's exactly what I am! A murderer! I killed dad, it's all my fault! I don't even deserve to be here, I should be rotting away in hell!" Gohan answered, eyes clenched shut as he leaned his forehead against the door, his fists resting on either side of his head. He could still feel his tears falling down his red cheeks, his eyes no doubt red and swollen.

"Gohan, you have to stop this! It isn't your fault! No one has even considered blaming you! I made the choice to sacrifice my life not only for the world, but for you, too. I wanted you to be safe, son. If I had known you would be so hurt, I would have come back, son, please, just open the door," Goku said, holding his breath, waiting for Gohan's answer. Silence greeted them and for a moment, Goku feared that Gohan had run away, but then he could sense the boy's energy right behind that door.

"B-but before I died, everyone always looked at me with hatred, I could see it!" Gohan protested.

"You're wrong, honey. Everyone was worried about you because you were pushing us all away, we didn't hate you, we loved you and worried about you, and we still do," Chi-Chi said, shaking her head at the door. Nearly everyone felt their hearts clench as a sob could be heard from behind the door. Gohan was broken once again, but this time, Chi-Chi wasn't going to leave him to piece himself back together.

"Let me in, sweetie, please," Chi-Chi pleaded. Gohan hesitated.

"J-just you?" He asked, sounding like a small boy who was hiding from his parents. Which, in a way, he was.

Chi-Chi looked at the others, receiving encouraging looks from nearly everyone. She turned to Goku, though the man seemed upset that Gohan didn't want to see him, he nodded in approval.

"Yes, sweetie, just me," she answered. It was silent. Gohan took a hesitant step away from the door before sliding down a wall just out of the sight of the people that would be able to see him once the door was opened.

Chi-Chi lightly turned the door handle, half expecting it to still be locked, but was pleasantly surprised when the door opened. Chi-Chi quickly stepped inside and closed the door behind her, her heart nearly shattering at the sight of her son, leaning against the wall, his knees pulled to his chest and his face buried in his stained hands. Chi-Chi caught a glimpse at the bloodied handprints on the wall of the shower, but chose to ignore it. Chi-Chi sat next to her broken son, hesitating before she touched him, saddened when she felt him tense under her fingertips. Gohan soon relaxed when his mother began running her fingers through his hair. Gohan eventually relaxed completely, his hands now resting in his lap. The boy's eyes were red and slightly swollen, but most of all, he looked tired. Chi-Chi jumped slightly when Gohan moved, not having expected it, but smiled when the boy rested his head on her chest, arms wrapped around her torso. She kissed the top of his head before lightly running her finger nails up and down his arm, smiling once she noticed the goose bumps that formed on his soft skin.

The others were waiting patiently outside the door, some having taken the position of sitting and leaning against the wall, or standing and leaning against the wall. It was mostly silent, giving off an almost eerie feeling. The house was almost always alive, but now, it seemed dead. Goku was slightly worried, he hoped Chi-Chi could calm Gohan down enough to have an actual conversation with the boy. Gohan could be stubborn at times, just like his mother, and if he didn't want to listen, then he wouldn't. They nearly jumped out of their skin when they heard a soft voice call for Goku. The saiyan nearly ripped the door off it's hinges when he entered. The others following close behind. Goku smiled softly at the sight. Gohan was now laying in his mother's lap, fast asleep. Goku kneeled down next to them and gently picked the boy up. He walked out of the room, followed closely by Chi-Chi.

Goku gently lied Gohan on his bed moving to cover the boy, but stopped when Chi-Chi climbed in next to their son and gathered the boy in her arms, holding him tightly as the demi saiyan snuggled into his mother's grasp. Goku smiled and decided to join, quickly taking his shoes off and climbing in behind Gohan, where he held the boy from behind. Vegeta nearly scoffed at the sight, but stopped himself, realizing that this might help the boy heal. Goten watched for a moment before he, too, decided to have a nap with his family. Taking off his shoes, he jumped up onto the bed and managed to wiggle himself between his mother and brother. He gripped at Gohan's gi top, grinning when Gohan almost immediately latched onto him. Bulma smiled, this was how they were supposed to be, together as a family. Happy.


	11. Chapter 11

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Chi-Chi stared lovingly at her two sons who were still asleep. She and Goku couldn't manage to sleep much during the night, but could finally fall asleep when Piccolo entered, promising he would watch over them and wake them when something happened. They were awake for a few hours now, but have yet to actually get out of bed. The two were waiting for their boy's to wake. Goku was quietly murmuring things to Piccolo who stood by the window, ignoring the small dried up puddle of blood. Chi-Chi just ignored them for the most part, her attention solely on her two sons. She watched as Goten stirred, his eyes fluttering open gently. The boy looked up to his older brother with big eyes, staring in wonder at the teen. Goten began to fiddle with the material of Gohan's gi top, nearly jumping out of his skin when the teen suddenly moved. Gohan groaned from deep in his throat, catching the other occupants of the rooms attention.

Goku tightened his hold on Gohan just a little, scared that if the boy woke up, he'd just push his father away and escape his grasp. Gohan's breath hitched in his throat, struggling against arms that were wrapped around him.

"Calm down, Gohan, it's just me," Goku said softly, slightly surprised when the boy actually settled down, relaxing in his grip. Gohan wasn't sure who was holding him, but now that he knew it was his father, he felt safe. Gohan's eyes fluttered open, staring into the big, curious eyes of his little brother. The two stared at each other for a little while before Gohan's eyes flickered to his mother. Both his parents and brother were holding onto him and he wouldn't be able to escape even if he wanted to, not that he did. He felt comfortable and safe in their arms. He shuffled slightly, turning to look over his shouldet, he could see his father's chest and shoulder, but not his face. His gaze turned to Piccolo, who smiled at him lightly. Turning back, he watched as his little brother snuggled closer to him before he settled down.

Gohan's eyes slid closed again, a small smile tugging at his lips as he hugged his brother closer to his chest and nuzzled into his mother, feeling his father's grip on him tighten as the man though the boy was trying to escape. Feeling left out, Goku shuffled closer, his hold tightening even more, not ever wanting to let go, not again. Goku nuzzled his face into the back of Gohan's neck, smiling when the boy shivered lightly. Piccolo smiled at the scene before excusing himself, not wanting to ruin the moment. Once downstairs, he was almost instantly questioned. Piccolo smiled, something no one but Gohan has seen.

"They're fine. They're together as they should be. A family," Piccolo answered and was met by relieved sighs and smiles. Even Vegeta seemed to calm down and relax a bit. Goten refused to let go of his brother, not even for food, even as his tummy was growling, demanding the demi saiyan feed him, he simply refused. Not that Gohan wanted to let go either.

Goku smiled, it's been so long since he was together with his family like this. It made him reconsider his choice to stay in Otherworld. Brushing the thought away for now, he snuggled closer to his family, catching Chi-Chi's eye, he smiled happily at her, which she returned. Gohan was very nearly almost falling asleep again, he felt so warm and safe, so comfortable. Gohan smiled, the biggest smile he had in years, and Chi-Chi was blessed by the sight, memorizing the image and storing it away in her memories. Bulma sneaked up the stairs, camera in hand, wanting to catch the moment. Silently, she pushed open the door, smiling at the family cuddled together in bed. Raising the camera, she quickly captured the precious moment. The flash of the camera caught the attention of the family, causing most of them to jump, not having expected the flash. Bulma smiled sheepishly.

"I didn't mean to ruin the moment, but breakfast is ready and I'm sure most of you are hungry," Bulma said. As if on queue, Goku and Goten's stomachs growled loudly. Chi-Chi laughed softly, sitting up in the bed, followed closely by Goku. Gohan let go of his little brother, almost instantly, that feeling of numbness and loneliness overwhelmed him. His emotionless mask slipped back on as he climbed out of the bed, stretching his stiff muscles. He was guided out of the room by his father, who threw an arm around his shoulder and pulled him along. Gohan felt slight embarrassment when they entered the kitchen, the friendly chattering of his friends almost instantly died down when they entered. The silence was tense.

"Hey, Gohan! Come sit here!" Yamcha called, motioning to an empty seat between himself and Krillin. Gohan smiled, closing his eyes briefly before he took the seat. Slowly, the tenseness slipped away, replaced by a comfortable feeling, something that used to always be between the group. Gohan listened to them chatter, but didn't necessarily pay attention to what they were saying, until someone called his name.

"Gohan? Gohan!" Trunks yelled, waving his hand at the older boy.

"Huh? Yes?" Gohan asked, slightly confused.

"Will you come play with us?" Goten asked, eyes wide in anticipation. Gohan stared at them, Trunks, Goten and Marron were standing near the front door, waiting for him to answer.

Images ran through his mind of a time when he was dead and had played with the two boys. Gohan twitched momentarily.

"Sure," Gohan answered quietly, smiling a small smile when the children cheered. Gohan stood, walking to the door, he could feel Eighteen's deadly gaze on him, threatening him. Gohan sighed. He wouldn't hurt them. The teen was dragged from his thoughts when the children took hold of his hands, dragging him out of the house. Honestly, Gohan didn't necessarily have the energy to play with the three, but he knew he wouldn't be able to deny them anything. For a while, the three children forced Gohan to play tag, then hide and seek. Gohan was leaning against a tree in the woods, panting lightly. He was hiding from all three of them. They just needed to find him and the he'll have to seek. Gohan took a deep breath, shivering. He could sense something, but he wasn't sure what exactly.

"I need to find them," Gohan said quietly to himself. Gohan walked in the direction of the house, lost in thought. He was caught off guard when a sudden painful punch was delivered to his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Green flashed before his eyes before he was sent flying backwards, crashing into a tree, Gohan slid down from it and fell to the ground. Gohan desperately took in air into his lungs, lightly pressing one hand to his stomach. Breathing hurt, but he had to stand up and face his enemy. Slowly climbing to his feet, Gohan saw Cell standing before him, smirking at the fallen demi saiyan. Gohan could feel himself bleeding from the wounds the bark of the tree had scratched into his skin on his back and neck. Gohan grit his teeth, thinking of the kids, hoping they would go home and get help. The teen was unsure whether or not he could defeat Cell when he was still recovering from his fight with Janemba. He still had that feeling of being drained.

"Hello, Gohan," Cell greeted, smirking at the boy. Gohan stood straight, glaring at his enemy.

"Are you ready to die?"


	12. Chapter 12

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

In hell, a man sat by the blood fountain, arms folded over his chest as he seemed to be meditating. Gine stood a few feet away, staring at her husband, worry flashing in her eyes. She was of average height and slender built. With a light-complexion, onyx eyes, and shaggy black hair reaching her shoulders, the woman looked over all gentle. Slowly, she walked over to the man, gently placing a soft hand on his shoulder, gaining his attention.

"Bardock?" She asked softly.

"Something's coming, I can feel it," the man explained, a deep frown on his face.

"Should we prepare for battle?" Tora asked. He was a tall man with his hair kept in a small ponytail at the back of his head, skin a dark tan color.

"I don't know," Bardock spoke, deep in thought. What was this feeling?

"I think we should, just to be safe," Fasha said, walking over with the rest of her comrades. Fasha had short black hair and eyes that seemed to be purple, she was a fierce woman, but gentle in her own way.

"What could be worse than Cell?" Tora asked, raising his guard just in case.

"A boy?" Bardock spoke, though it sounded more like a question.

"A boy? More powerful than Cell?" Fasha asked, confused.

"I don't know, it's to vague, I can't make anything out," Bardock said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Gine looked off to the side, not wanting to think of the possibility of having to fight a child.

"I know how you feel, Gine, maybe we won't have to fight," Bardock said, trying to reassure his wife.

"I hope so, I really do,"

Gohan grunted as another punch hit him on his cheek. His lip was cut open and bleeding as well as his eyebrow, not to mention the amount of small cuts and bruises that were forming all over his body. He was exhausted and couldn't seem to gather enough energy to at least dodge the attacks being thrown at him. Trunks watched silently as Gohan was beat mercilessly. Sneaking away slowly and silently, he took off running to the edge of the woods where Goten and Marron were waiting. He had gone in search of Gohan seeing as their mothers had called for them, wanting them to return home. He could see the little house in the distance and sprinted towards it, running passed the other two children, completely ignoring Goten's calls for him. Running to the house, he slammed the door open causing all of the adults inside to jump at his sudden and loud entrance.

"Someone help! Gohan's being attacked!" Trunks yelled, almost instantly running back out of the house after yelling at the fighters. Trunks ran passed Goten and Marron again, confusing the two as to what was going on.

"Marron!" Eighteen yelled, grabbing her child and hugging her close after looking the girl over, making sure she wasn't injured. Coming back to her senses, Eighteen ran after Goku and Vegeta, who seemed to be at the front of the group racing after Trunks. Gohan had barely managed to raise his power level, but not managing to go further as Cell kept attacking him, not giving him even the smallest of moments to ascend into the next stage of super saiyan. Gohan could sense his friends and family rushing this way and felt relieved at the knowledge that he would soon have backup to help him.

"Gohan!?" Goku yelled, coming to a stop a feet from where Gohan was attempting to dodge Cell. Gohan blocked a kick, the force pushed him back a bit from where he was floating in the air.

"Dad!" Gohan yelled back, distracted. His distraction proved fatal as Cell pulled back one of his arms, forming a powerful Ki blast in his hand. Thrusting it forward, Gohan looked back in front of him, in time to see Cell press the Ki ball to his chest. He let it go, causing a massive explosion to go off, Gohan screaming in pain as the blast ripped through his body.

"No!" Goku exclaimed, watching in disbelief as his child was possibly killed.

"GOHAN!" Chi-Chi screamed, blocking out the sound of everyone else calling Gohan's name as she sank to her knees, watching as the blinding light flickered out, revealing Gohan's broken body as it slowly fell to the earth.

Goku ran as fast as he could, jumping into the air and grabbing Gohan at the last moment.

"Gohan?! Come on son, please!" Goku yelled, ignoring everyone rushing over. Cell landed a few feet away from them, smirking at the scene. Perfect. Pikkon and Olibu tensed, preparing themselves for when Cell would attack, allowing Goku his last moments with his son.

"D-da-" Gohan started, but got cut off as he coughed viciously, blood spurting out of his mouth and dribbling down his cheeks and chin.

"Gohan, try not to talk son, you'll be okay!" Goku reassured, tears welling up in his eyes.

"No, you won't, Gohan. He's lying to you, you're going to die and secretly, he's happy about that," Cell said, his smirk widening.

"Shut up!" Olibu yelled, angered by the android's words.

"He's blaming you, Gohan. For his death and nearly killing him again yesterday. Not to mention nearly killing his wife and son. And his best friend. He's even angry at you for wanting to kill Seventeen," Cell laughed quietly to himself.

"Don't listen to him, baby, okay?" Chi-Chi spoke, running her fingers through Gohan's bloody hair. Goku cradled his son to his chest, wanting to shield the boy from those hurtful words.

"I bet, he hates you. That's why he decided to stay in Otherworld and come home to be with you. You're a disgrace to your family and friends. That's why, he didn't rush over sooner to help you. He thinks, you're better off dead!" Cell sneered, knowing that he was pushing the right buttons.

"I'll kill you!" Goku yelled, placing Gohan on the ground and rushing at Cell, quickly followed by Pikkon, Olibu and Vegeta.

"Gohan? Look at me sweetie, don't close your eyes!" Chi-Chi cried as she cradled the boy. Piccolo was at their side in an instant, attempting to talk to the boy to keep him awake.

"Don't worry, Gohan, Dende can heal you!" Krillin yelled, frantically waving the smaller Namekian over.

"N-no," Gohan choked out, blood dripping from his mouth.

"What are you saying, Gohan?" Yamcha asked.

"I-I'm n-not going t-to...make it," Gohan breathed, struggling to take in air.

"Don't be silly, Gohan!" Krillin said, trying to keep himself from crying.

"P-please...f-forgive...me," Gohan's breathing was shallow, his eyes half lidded.

"Of course we forgive you if you forgive us?" Bulma asked, tears slowly falling from her eyes. Gohan only replied by smiling a bright smile. His eyes fell shut as his breathing stopped, smile slowly slipping from his face as he fell limp in his mother's arms. Chi-Chi began shaking Gohan, crying for him to wake up. Piccolo clenced his eyes shut. This was to similar to the first time Gohan died.

"Gohan!" Chi-Chi cried, catching the attention of Goku and the others who were fighting as well as the children's.

Eighteen had take it upon herself to keep the three away from the scene, not wanting them to witness the older boy's death. Goku turned, seeing Chi-Chi cry, Goku collapsed to his knees, not having expected Gohan to actually die.

"B-Big brother?" Goten asked, seeing Gohan clutched in his mother's grasp, he knew what happened. It wasn't the first time Gohan died and it probably won't be the last, in fact, everyone has died more than once, however, it never gets any less painful. Cell smirked and used his instant transmission to appear in front of Chi-Chi and Gohan. He grabbed the body, Chi-Chi reaching out to grab a hold of her son's body, but it was too late as Cell disappeared.

"Gohan!"


	13. Chapter 13

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Cell reappeared on snake way. He smirked, he could sense the rest of his allies down in hell, ready to torment Gohan when he wakes up. His smirk widening, Cell held Gohan's body over the golden clouds, knowing the boy would fall into hell should he let go. And that's just what he did. Letting go, Cell watched as Gohan's body fell through the clouds. Gohan was merely asleep now, he had woken up a few moments prior, but Cell had knocked him out again. He had waited for the boy to revive before he dropped him into hell and was pleasantly surprised when he didn't have to wait to long. Laughing to himself, he used his instant transmission to go to Freeza and the others, this should be fun. Bardock sat, tense. The feeling that something was wrong, had only grown worse over time. He smiled as he watched his wife talking with his comrades. He often wondered about his son, Kakarot. Was the vision he saw before he died true? Did his son really defeat Freeza? Well, Freeza was in hell, so someone had to do it. Bardock absentmindedly walked to his wife, wanting to ask her what she thought of this, when his senses kicked in.

"Ah! What is this power I'm sensing?!" He yelled, glancing around frantically, catching the attention of his comrades and wife. Guard up, they looked around, wanting to find out what was going on.

"Is it Cell?" Tora asked, briefly glancing at Bardock.

"No, it's- up there!" Bardock yelled, looking up in time to see a figure falling from the sky. The figure landed on the ground, kicking up a little dust. Cautiously, the group approached the figure.

"It's a child," Borgos said, watching the boy that lay on the ground, looking beaten and bloody. Bardock kneeled down next to the teen, gently touching the boy's neck.

"He kind of looks like you, Bardock," Fasha said, leaning in closer to the child's face.

Fasha stepped back when the boy stirred, his eyes fluttering. Gohan blinked, confused for a moment.

"D-dad?" He asked as his gaze landed on Bardock. The full blooded saiyan frowned for a moment, but ignored it for now.

"Are you okay, kid?" He asked, raising a brow.

Gohan sat up quickly, moving away from the man.

"You're not my dad! Wait, where am I?" Gohan looked around confused.

"You're in hell," Fasha answered, looking strangely at the boy.

"Hell? B-but how?" Gohan asked himself, confused. This was all to much for him. Gohan leaned forward, clutching his head as thoughts ran through his already confused mind. Gohan clenched his eyes shut, gritting his teeth.

"Are you alright, son?" Tora asked, placing a hand on the teen's shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Gohan yelled, slapping the man's hand away. Shock briefly flashed over the man's face before it changed to anger.

"Why you little-," Tora started, but cut himself off as he watched the boy scramble to his feet, wrapping his arms around himself. Gohan's senses were all over the place, he kept sensing his enemies, but couldn't pin loint where exactly. He was confused and slightly scared. Gohan glanced at the warriors in front of him, tensing when he noticed their tales wrapped around their waists.

"Your saiyans?" Gohan whispered.

"Yes," Bardock answered, watching the boy carefully. He seemed unstable and Bardock couldn't afford to let down his guard now.

Gohan felt himself go numb as thoughts ran through his head. Why did this man look so much like his father? Oh no, it couldn't be! Could it?

"T-Turles?" Gohan asked, slightly cocking his head to the side, watching the man.

"What? Turles? No, I am Bardock," the saiyan spoke.

"Bardock?" Gohan repeated.

The man nodded and turned slightly, still watching the boy as he pointed at his wife.

"This is my wife, Gine, and that's Fasha, Tora, Shugesh and Borgos," he pointed to each of his comrades.

"It's common decency to tell us your name, boy," Shugesh said, glaring half heartedly at the boy.

"I don't owe you anything," Gohan seethed, his cold demeanor back.

"Awh, look, a tough guy," the man spoke, taking a step closer to the boy.

Gohan glared, anger quickly building up.

"Shugesh, please, let it go," Gine begged, not wanting the boy to get hurt.

"No, someone needs to teach this boy some manners!" Shugesh yelled, angrily cracking his knuckles.

"Oh, Gohan, not even here five minutes and you're already getting yourself into trouble," a voice chuckled. Gohan's anger doubled and all he saw was red. Gohan turned around slowly, a vicious glare on his face.

"Cell," Gohan seethed through clenched teeth.

"Why so angry, Gohan?" Cell teased.

Gohan clenched his fists, just about ready to explode. He glared at his enemies, the same ones that had attacked them the previous day.

Raditz tensed slightly at seeing his parents. Did they know?

"I'll kill you," Gohan said, preparing himself to power up.

"Even your uncle?" Raditz asked. He thought that his parents deserved to know.

"You're nothing to me! You killed my father and now, you're asking me not to kill you just because we're blood related?!" Gohan yelled angrily.

"You wound me, nephew," Raditz smirked, relieved that his parents knew now.

Bardock felt himself freeze in shock. Nephew? That would mean. Is this child really?

"My grandson?" Bardock spoke, eyes wide in shock. Gohan turned, realization flashing in his eyes. So that's why his father and this man looked so much alike.

"Grandson? Kakarot's son?!" Fasha yelled in question, confused.

"Gohan, why don't you tell your precious granddaddy about how you killed his son? Or how you nearly killed him again yesterday? Oh, what about Goten and Chi-Chi?" Cell smirked. Gohan turned slowly, hatred burning in his eyes.

"Killed? What?" Gine asked, surprise clearly heard in her voice.

"SHUT UP!" Gohan screamed, crouching down and raising his power level. His hair spiked up, turning gold as his eyes turned an icy blue green. His golden aura spiked around him, his anger clearly being felt around him.

He had had enough of this, being blamed for everything. The saiyan's covered their eyes, shocked by what they were sensing.

"I-It can't be!" Tora yelled, staring wide eyed at Gohan who had now stopped raising his power level.

"The legendary super saiyan!" Fasha finished, shocked at the power pulsing from the boy.

"Ah, Gohan, always letting your emotions get the better of you. That's how you got your father killed, isn't it?" Cell chuckled quietly to himself. Gohan froze, realization flashing in his eyes. Cell was right! The same thing happened the previous day. He had been so caught up in his anger for Android Seventeen, that he nearly killed his father, again. Shaking, Gohan gripped at his hair. That happened every time! Last year, he was so angry at Goten's betrayal, that he nearly killed his mother and brother! And Krillin! The man was only trying to protect his own wife and child.

"No!" Gohan screamed, tugging at his hair and shaking his head before he fell out of his super saiyan state and turned, running in a direction. He didn't know where he was going, but couldn't bring himself to care at that moment. Bardock grit his teeth before running after the boy. He needed to stop him, his grandson. Gine turned, briefly giving her eldest son a disappointed look before running after Bardock, quickly followed behind by the rest of their comrades. Raditz felt a sudden sadness wash over him. He wanted to be with his family, but would they except him? Shaking his head, he decided to follow after his father and mother. Cell scoffed disapprovingly, but decided to ignore the saiyan and celebrate the victory for this fight. Cell knew, if Gohan got a hold of himself and his emotions, he could easily defeat him and perhaps even Janemba. But, he wasn't going to let that happen.

Bardock was able to catch up to Gohan quickly. The boy was blindingly running in random directions, but Bardock knew where he could turn and take a short cut. Grabbing Gohan's wrist, he forced the boy to stop and turn to him.

"Let go of me!" Gohan commanded, trying, and failing, to glare up at the man. Bardock watched as the tears fell down Gohan's red cheeks, the pain and confusion clearly being shown in his eyes. Something was very clearly wrong with his grandson and he needed to stop this. The boy needed time to heal.

"Calm down!" Bardock demanded, tightening his grip on the child's wrists. Gohan struggled even harder, suddenly feeling threatened by this man, his grandfather. Grandpa. Crying out, Gohan collapsed into the man, continuing his pained cries. Bardock managed to catch the boy as he suddenly collapsed and hugged him to his chest. Gohan gripped at his armor, pained sobs wracking through his beaten body.

"It's alright now, calm down," Bardock shushed, ignoring his comrades and wife as they arrived, staring at the scene. This child, he needed help.


	14. Chapter 14

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Gine felt her heart clench as she watched her husband hug their grandchild. Gohan's breathing was labored as he tried to calm himself down, but was having trouble doing just that. He was shaking violently in his grandfather's arms. Gine kneeled next to the two on the ground and ran her hand through the child's hair, lightly scratching at his scalp. Gohan calmed almost instantly, the gesture reminding him of something his mother would do. Bardock stared down at the teen's head, which was resting on his chest. What could possibly have hurt the child so that he would have such a severe emotional breakdown? Damn that Cell, he has something to do with this, Bardock just knew it.

"So, your grandson, huh? He's pretty powerful," Fasha stated as she, too, kneeled down next to them, looking the boy over. Gohan frowned, he didn't want to be seen as powerful, in fact, he felt as though he was the complete opposite.

Gohan wondered, what was his family doing now? Did they mourn over him, or are they already moving on? Were they searching for him? Is Goten okay? Trunks? Gohan clenched his eyes shut at his thoughts. Were they going to leave him down here? He wouldn't blame them, he deserves to be here.

"Hey, kid, why don't you tell us how you died in the fist place?" Tora asked, stepping closer. Gohan pushed away from his grandfather and sat up, crossing his legs and arms, a serious look on his face as he frowned. Bardock followed his example, also crossing his legs, though he rested his arms in his lap instead. The others followed soon, sitting so they faced Gohan, waiting for him to talk.

"I was attacked by Cell and caught of guard when my father called for me, he hit me with a powerful Ki blast," Gohan explained.

"Wow," Shugesh said sarcastically. Gohan glared at him.

"I wouldn't talk to him like that if I were you, Shugesh. This one's powerful. When I went in search for Kakarot, he was what? Four years old at the time? He was the first one between my brother and the Namekian to actually do harm to me. I don't know if you remember that, kid," Raditz said as he walked over to them.

"I remember. It's your fault my father left the first time," Gohan said through clenched teeth.

"Hey, it was his fault that he decided to sacrifice himself, not mine," Raditz chuckled, eyes closed. Gohan's Ki spiked as he fazed out and appeared in front of his uncle. He punched the man so hard, he was sent skidding a few feet away.

"Alright, alright, enough already!" Bardock yelled, placing a hand on Gohan's shoulder. Gohan tensed at first, but relaxed soon after.

"You need to get a hold of that temper of yours, nephew, it won't get you anywhere," Raditz said as he stood up.

"Oh really? I seem to remember a number of times that it's helped me!" Gohan yelled.

"Well it didn't help you against Cell, now did it?!" Raditz yelled back. Gohan visibly flinched, breath catching in his throat as he took a step back. Gohan turned his back on them, wrapping his arms around himself. Even his own uncle could see it. Raditz wasn't exactly a good guy, but even he could see that it was Gohan's fault.

"Way to go, Raditz, now the little boy's going to cry again," Shugesh teased, laughing quietly to himself. Gohan shook, he was right. The tears fell as Gohan cursed at himself. He was so weak.

Goku held Chi-Chi as she cried. He, himself, had a hard time keeping his tears at bay. Actually, a lot of them are. Chi-Chi's cries were making it hard for anyone to keep their tears in. Goku's eyes widened. He turned in a direction, shock on his face. Could that be?

"Gohan?" Piccolo asked, staring in the same direction as Goku. It was silent for a few moments.

"Well?! Go get him!" Bulma yelled. Goku nodded and stood, smiling reassuringly at her.

"I'm coming dad! And there's nothing you can do to stop me!" Goten yelled, a look of determination on his face.

"I wouldn't dream of it, son," Goku spoke, pain flashing in his eyes briefly.

"Goku," Piccolo said. Goku turned to him, the two nodded to each other.

"Alright, Pikkon, Olibu, Vegeta, Goten, Trunks and Piccolo come with me, the rest of you guys I think should stay here," Goku said, a determined look of his own on his face.

"Please, Goku, bring him back to me," Chi-Chi cried.

"I will," Goku said.

The warriors gathered and held onto Goku as they disappeared. Reappearing in hell, they briefly looked around.

"I can't sense him anywhere," Piccolo said softly.

"I know, we split up, Goten and Trunks, stay together. Raise your power level when you find him," Goku ordered. They nodded before flying in different directions. Piccolo grit his teeth. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't save Gohan again. He was disappointed in himself, he had promised that he would look after the child once Goku left, but he didn't do that. Why? Why did Gohan have to push everyone away? He doesn't care that the teen nearly killed him, he just wishes the best for his friend.

Shugesh smirked at the back of the crying boy before he walked forward, grabbing his wrist and twisting him around violently.

"Tsk. Look at you! You're a saiyan! You shouldn't be crying over petty things like this! You're a disgrace to your race!" The man raised his hand, prepared to slap some sense into the boy, when he was suddenly kicked away, skidding across the ground a few feet away. Gohan collapsed to his knees.

"I won't let you touch big brother again!" A voice said.

"Brother? Are you okay?" Goten asked, touching his brother's cheeks, worry flashing in his eyes.

Trunks briefly glanced over his shoulder to check on Gohan.

"Kakarot?" Both Raditz and Bardock asked in unison as they stared at Goten.

"G-Gohan?" Goten stuttered, staring at the older. Gohan stared blankly at the ground by Goten's feet, not blinking nor moving. Trunks glared at his enemies, not noticing Shugesh getting up.

"Trunks, I think he's broken," Goten spoke, distracting his best friend.

"What?" Trunks asked, turning his head to look at them. Shugesh charged at Trunks, anger blinding him. Trunks turned his head back, completely caught off guard.

"Shugesh, stop!" Bardock yelled, but was ignored. Gohan fazed out and appeared in front of Trunks, punching Shugesh in his stomach, blood flying from the man's mouth and onto Gohan's arm.

Gohan glared coldly. How many times did he have to say this?

"Don't hurt the boys, or you'll regret it," Gohan repeated coldly, pulling his fist back. Shugesh collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood. Gohan stared at his arm that was covered in blood. Much like it was covered in his father's blood the previous day. Brushing it off, the boy stretched out his arm, palm facing the fallen saiyan as he formed a powerful Ki blast in his hand. Like he did against his mother and brother. Bardock decided to intervene at that moment, jumping in between his comrade and grandson.

"Gohan, stop," Bardock said calmly. To the surprise of Trunks and Goten, Gohan stopped. Usually, Gohan only got angrier when someone did that. The two children stared at the full blooded saiyan in wonder.

Realization flickered in his dark eyes. Quickly lowering his arm, Gohan turned and ran, but didn't go to far this time. Bardock stared after his grandson before a thought hit him.

"Hey, you two! You're Gohan's brothers, right?" Bardock asked, walking closer to the two children and kneeling before them.

"Well technically, only Goten is, but Gohan is like a big brother to me, too! He helped raise me! He was always there to protect and play with us, so we helped him feel like he wasn't being forgotten, but it didn't work anymore when Goten's dad came back," Trunks explained.

"What?" Bardock asked confused.

"Yeah, brother tried to kill me and mom, but then Krillin saved us by almost killing Gohan, even if he was already dead," Goten said, smiling at his grandfather. Bardock looked bewildered.

"Can I ask you something?" Trunks asked.

"Uh, yeah," Bardock said, still slightly shocked.

"How did you stop Gohan? Last time someone did that, it was Goten's dad and he almost died," Trunks questioned, a wide smile on his face.

"Uhm,"

"Yeah, wait, you look a lot like my daddy," Goten laughed. Bardock was more than just bewildered. What is wrong with his grandchildren?


	15. Chapter 15

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

"So, why do you look so much like Goten's dad, mister?" Trunks asked.

"Oh! Trunks we should let the others know we found Gohan!" Goten exclaimed.

"Oh, right," the two children quickly raised their power levels, but not too much. Bardock paid them no mind, staring at his elder grandson, who was now sitting, rocking back and forth, shaking as he hugged himself.

"Something's really wrong with that child," Bardock muttered to himself, dragged from his thoughts by the sound of someone's feet hitting the ground.

"Dad! Look, we found Gohan!" Trunks yelled, waving at his dad. Vegeta scowled and walked closer, almost instantly recognising the man stood by the two children.

"Well well well, if it isn't the low class warrior, Bardock," Vegeta smirked, knowing that this soon to be reunion was going to be interesting.

"Prince Vegeta?" Bardock asked, shocked.

Vegeta merely laughed at Bardock, his attention was grabbed, however, when he felt a tug on his armour.

"Uncle Vegeta? Can you please look at Gohan? I think he's broken," Goten asked, pointing at the teen rocking back and forth. Vegeta followed the pointed finger and sighed at the sight that greeted him. A pain filled groan drew his attention, his eyes widening slightly at the man laying on the ground.

"What happened?" Vegeta asked, still staring at the man.

"That boy happened. Shugesh was going to attack Trunks when Gohan punched him," Fasha explained. Vegeta frowned, reminded of what had happened the previous day.

"Kakarot better hurry up, he's son's completely losing his mind!" Vegeta spoke angrily, staring at Gohan. As if on queue, Goku landed a few feet away, soon followed by Pikkon, Olibu and Piccolo.

"Gohan?!" Goku called worriedly after seeing the man.

"Your son's over there, Kakarot," Vegeta pointed out. Gine felt her breath hitch at the sight of her youngest son. It was the first time she had seen him grown up and it hurt to realise that she had missed a lot of things with him. She gasped slightly as she realized this, though she was completely ignored as Goku rushed right passed everyone and towards his own son. She stared longingly after him. Piccolo stared at Bardock, slightly confused as to why the man looked so much like his best friend's father, though he pieced it together when he noticed the woman stare longingly after Goku.

"You're Goku's parents, aren't you?" He asked, gaining their attention. Bardock nodded slightly, knowing exactly who Piccolo was talking about.

"Gohan and Goten are our grandchildren," Bardock stated.

Vegeta snorted, chuckling to himself before smirking.

"You're in for a lot of drama with that one," Vegeta said, gesturing to Goku and Gohan.

"About that. I was hoping you could fill us in?" Bardock asked. Piccolo took in a deep breath as Vegeta's smirk slipped from his face, replaced, surprisingly, by a rather sad look.

"It's a long story," Piccolo said, closing his eyes, preparing himself for all the memories to come.

Goku watched sadly as Gohan rocked himself, quietly muttering 'It's all my fault,'

He knelt down next to his son, gently touching the boy's cheek, his heart breaking when Gohan flinched away from his touch. Goku didn't give up and grabbed the boy, hugging him tightly to his chest. Gohan struggled viciously.

"Let go! Let go of me! Please," Gohan begged before he stopped, breathing heavily.

"It's alright now, son, I've got you," Goku spoke, gently rocking them back and forth.

"I'm okay now, dad," Gohan said after a few moments, his voice void of all emotion.

"Alright. Let's get you home, okay?" Goku looked down, watching as Gohan nodded.

Bardock felt his heart clench at the story, knowing that he only got one side and that he needed to hear Gohan's. The group looked up at the two approaching, Gohan staring at the ground as Goku looked forward, frowning. Gine felt her heart nearly jump out of her chest.

"Alright, I think we should go," Goku said, getting ready to leave.

"Hold on, Goku, I think these people might have to come with," Piccolo said softly.

"What? Why?" Goku asked, confused.

"Kakarot, this is your mother and father," Vegeta said, gesturing to Bardock and Gine.

Goku's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat.

"R-really?" He asked, staring at his parents in disbelief.

"Oh, Kakarot," Gine cried, rushing forward and forcing Goku into a hug. Bardock merely smiled at the two, not necessarily knowing what to do. After a few moments, Goku decided to return his mother's hug. Gohan shook as he watched them, slightly jealous, though he couldn't figure out why. The teen nearly jumped out of his skin when an arm was thrown around his shoulder. He looked to the side, noticing Fasha looking at the scene with a small smile.

"Hey, you okay, kid? You're shaking like a leaf," she stated, turning her attention to Gohan. The teen stared blankly at her, almost dazed.

Fasha rose a brow at the boy as he seemed to be staring right through her.

"Not to interrupt the touching moment, but your son seems to be having some sort of break down, again," Raditz spoke, glaring half heartedly at Goku.

"Right, we should go!" Goku said cheerfully. Everyone gathered, holding onto him, well, everyone that came with him.

"C'mon, mom, dad, just grab on!" Goku smiled. The saiyan's held on and they disappeared, reappearing right in front of Bulma, who screamed and fell over.

"You're back!" She exclaimed as she quickly got to her feet.

"Guys! Their back!" Bulma called. Chi-Chi came rushing out of the house, completely ignoring the new comers as she rushed at her children, instantly enveloping them in a crushing hug.

She let go of Goten placing her hands on Gohan's cheeks, she tried to make him look at her, though it seemed that he was rather looking through her.

"Oh, my poor baby!" She yelled, crying. Gohan merely stared ahead, completely ignoring everything and everyone around him. He was numb.

"Gohan?" Goten asked, tugging at his brother's pant leg.

Gohan glanced down, anger welling up inside him and he didn't understand why.

"What?" He asked, looking questioningly at his brother

"Are you okay now, Gohan? Are you fixed? I thought you were broken," Goten asked.

Gohan smiled, though it was obvious to most that it was fake.

"I'm alright," Gohan replied softly.

Chi-Chi was angered by this, how many times had Gohan said that and ended up killing himself.

"You listen here, Gohan, you will not lie! I have had enough of this! What happened the first time you lied about your feelings? Gohan, you killed yourself! Don't do this again," Chi-Chi begged, constantly grabbing onto her son, but was only shrugged off.

"You're going down that same path again, Gohan," she said, tears forming in her eyes as she forcefully grabbed his wrist and turned his arm, revealing multiple scars of the cuts he had made. Gohan snatched his arm back, glaring furiously at her.

"So what?! You didn't care before, so why now?!" Gohan yelled angrily.

"Gohan, calm down," Chi-Chi said, trying to calm him down so that they could have a proper conversation.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Gohan yelled, flaring his Ki as he pushed his mother away and took to the air, flying away from the confrontation.

Goku was standing, staring at his parents as they told him about their own journeys and fights. Goku was mesmerized, completely oblivious to his wife and son's argument. He was just so happy to finally meet his own parents, that he completely forgot about his own problems with his son. Their attention was quickly grabbed when Gohan yelled at his mother and pushed her away as he took to the air. It was then that Goku remembered that he needed to have a talk with his son. Frowning, he placed his fingers to his forehead and disappeared. Bardock sighed as he took to the air, following after his son and grandson. He needed to follow, he just had a feeling that his son didn't know how to deal with this type of situation. Not that he did either, but he already noticed that he had some sort of pull or control or something over the child. Bardock was pulled from his thoughts as Vegeta raced passed him.

Goku reappeared in front of Gohan, stopping the boy in his path. Goku didn't know what to do, so he decided to take on a more stern like approach seeing as he had tried the gentle approach and it didn't seem to work.

"Gohan, enough of this! Your behaviour is unacceptable!" Goku yelled. This angered Gohan.

"You have no right to come and tell what is exceptable and what isn't! I've had enough of your bullshit, I don't want you here anymore! You'll just leave like you always do and I'll have to pick up after you!" Gohan yelled, overcome by emotion. His words hurt Goku deeply and he didn't know what to do, so he settled for the one thing he knew how to do. Goku rushed forward, catching Gohan completely by surprise as the saiyan pulled back his fist and punched his son in the stomach, hard. Blood splattered from the teen's mouth as his eyes widened, breath leaving his lungs quickly as tears built up in his eyes. He leaned forward, succumbing to his pain for a moment before he decided to fight back. Grabbing Goku's arm, Gohan used his strength to spin them around for a moment before he let go, throwing his father into Vegeta, who had just arrived, as they crashed to the ground.

Bardock flew up to Gohan.

"Gohan," he said calmly.

"Don't come near me!" Gohan ordered.

"Okay, okay," Bardock said, raising his arms and showing his grandson his palms. Gohan breathed heavily as he watched the man before him, slowly calming down.

"What is it that you want, Gohan? What would make you happy again?" Bardock asked as he slowly approached the boy.

"I want everyone to leave me alone! I want him to leave!" Gohan said harshly, briefly closing his eyes. Bardock took that moment to move faster and fly towards where he was right in front of his grandson.

"Is that really what you want?" Bardock asked softly. Gohan opened his eyes in surprise, not having expected the man to be so close to him, though he couldn't bring himself to move away. Is that really what he wanted? Bardock placed one hand on Gohan's shoulder, the other ontop of his head. Gohan stared into his grandfather's concerned eyes and shook his head, tears coming to his eyes.

"Then what is it?" Bardock asked, feeling as though he was making a lot of progress.

"I want-I want everyone to stop. I just want them to stop staring at me like I'm some kind of monster! I just want them to love me, for me and not be so scared and careful around me. I want him to stay," Gohan cried, bowing his head. Bardock smiled and pulled the boy to him and hugged him to his chest as he descended to the ground, quickly falling to his knees as he clutched the boy to him. He knew now, all Gohan ever wanted, was love, he was just so hurt that he had to find a way to protect himself and settled for pushing everyone away, that way he wouldn't get hurt any more. He just needed to heal.


	16. Chapter 16

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Goku stared, slightly jealous, a strange feeling for him. Bardock had made bigger progress than they had in over a year. What did he do wrong? He watched as Bardock held his son, gently shushing the boy as he cried into the man's chest. Bardock knew that Gohan never once let himself mourn the loss of his father and held onto that pain in favour of being the strong one. That backfired, however, when Goten became a possibility and Gohan just couldn't handle being strong for yet another person. Gohan blamed himself for his father's death and couldn't possibly handle the thought of facing his new sibling with his pain and blame. It was to much for a child to bare and it eventually took over, causing the boy to make a rash decision which led him into taking his own life. Bardock sighed silently as Gohan's cries quieted down. He had asked Gohan to tell him what happened and listened to the teens side of the story. This boy had been forced to grow up before his time and didn't have the chance to be a child. Bardock looked down at Gohan's face, seeing the calm look on his slightly red face. His cheeks especially were red with tears still stuck to them, his eyes closed as he seemed to be sleeping. Bardock knew that teen was awake just by the boy's irregular breathing.

"Gohan?" He asked softly. The boy's eyes flew open, looking around before they came to rest on his grandfather.

"Want to go home?" The man questioned, smiling at the teen. Gohan nodded, but didn't make a move to stand up. Bardock laughed as he cradled the boy in bis arms, hugging him. Gohan laughed lightly himself before standing up once his grandfather let go of him. Bardock took a hold of Gohan's arm, pulling him along, scared that the boy might take off. Together, they took to the air and flew away slowly, not at all rushed to get back to the house. Once there, Gohan took a seat at a picnic table which resided outside of their house. Krillin took it upon himself to try and cheer the teen up as he sat in front of the boy, chattering away.

"Come on, Vegeta! We both know it's for the best!" Goku pestered.

"No! I refuse to fuse with you again, clown!" Vegeta yelled, turning his back on the other.

"Look, Vegeta, I don't think Gohan can take any more of this, look at him! He's already broken!" Goku said while gesturing to his eldest son. Gohan was sitting at the picnic table, staring into the distance, once again oblivious to the world as Krillin tried in vain to gain his attention. Vegeta watched Gohan for a few moments, frowning deeply.

"Look, Kakarot, I think you should talk to him," Vegeta said, slight concern in his voice.

"I know," Goku said, sighing deeply.

"Alright, Kakarot, I'll do it," Vegeta said, sighing in defeat.

"Thank you, Vegeta," Goku said, relief shining in his eyes. He didn't want Gohan to fight again, but if it happened that he needed to, then Goku will take on their biggest threat. Janemba was powerful and Goku didn't want Gohan fighting the alien when he was so distracted, he couldn't take the risk of his son dying again. He needed to fix things, before it's to late, but Goku was considering coming back and spending the rest of his life with his friends and family. He regretted staying in Otherworld, but he had thought that it would be for the best. He knows now how wrong he was.

Bardock stood in the doorway, staring at the women that were chattering away. Gine looked so happy, finally being able to see her youngest son, not to mention her grandchildren. He only wished that it could stay like this, but he knew, once this fight was over, they had to go back to hell and leave behind their family. Bardock wondered, would Kakarot, or as the people here called him, Goku, would he miss them? What about Gohan? Bardock shuddered at that thought. On the same day, he would lose not only his father, but both of his grandparents. It was obvious that Gohan had taken a strong liking towards his grandfather. The way Gohan reacted when he lost his father, made Bardock wonder how he would react at losing both his most loved people in the same day. Gohan already loved him as much as he did his father, or so he had been told by the boy's mother and friends. When he lost his father, he bottled up his emotions and took his own life. Gohan had a lot of bottled up emotions and Bardock feared that it would be too much for the boy to handle when they left. He wonders, what would happen? He doubts Gohan would take his own life again.

Outside, Piccolo had similar thoughts. He was considering asking Goku to stay, let them wish him back with the dragon balls, but would he let them? Sighing he turned and stared, slightly wide eyed as Goku showed the fusion dance to Vegeta once more, before they started practicing, Vegeta looking as embarrassed as he could get, a sour look on his face. Gohan turned his head when he heard the familiar fusion calls. He smiled a small smile at the sight, wondering what it must be like to fuse with someone like that. Krillin laughed as he had followed Gohan's sight, wanting to tease Vegeta, but knew better. Goten stared at his brother, wondering what the teen was thinking. Standing, he walked over towards his brother and lightly tapped him on his leg.

"Mmm?" Gohan looked down at his brother who had a sad expression on his face. Goten said nothing, just held out his arms, silently asking for a hug. Gohan smiled a small smile and picked up his baby brother, chuckling to himself when Goten immediately latched onto his neck, hugging him tightly, refusing to let go.

Krillin smiled at the two brothers, hoping that after this they could go be a real family. This whole thing had been a massive strain on the family. Krillin wondered, did Goku regret staying in Otherworld now that he finally saw what it did to his family? Gohan seemed to have taken a liking to his grandfather, making Krillin nervous as to what might happen when they had to leave. He hopes Gohan would be able to handle it, but he doubted it. He just wishes that the boy doesn't completely lose it and kill everyone. He wouldn't be too surprised if that happens, the boy was already losing control over himself and he hadn't lost anyone yet. That might just be the push needed to send Gohan over the edge and who knows what would happen then. Goten held onto his brother, not wanting to take the chance of letting go and possibly losing the teen again, that is, until they could sense their enemies approaching. Tensing, all the fighters rushed together as a group, looking around for any sign of them.

"Gohan, I want you to leave Janemba to Vegeta and I, okay?" Goku said, turning to look at him, Gohan nodded in response, not feeling in the mood for fighting.

"And leave Cell to me," Pikkon said, placing a reassuring hand on the teen's shoulder.

"Alright," Gohan answered, nodding once.

Gohan tensed when Janemba appeared, smirking. Vegeta and Goku nodded at each other, quickly powering up so that their power was exactly the same, quickly doing the fusion dance. A blinding light flashed, before revealing a man, his power overwhelming.

"I am neither Goku or Vegeta, I am Gogeta," the man said, smirking before rushing at Janemba, the two quickly starting their own battle. Gohan ignored them and focused on what his senses were telling him. The enemy seemed to be everywhere, Gohan couldn't pin point where. The teen turned, only to be kicked in the back, hard. The force sent the child propelling forward, constantly crashing into the ground before bouncing up and crashing into a tree, where he slid down and collapsed to his hands and knees, bleeding from small cuts that covered his body. Gohan looked up lazily, slightly dazed from the attack. His eyes widened, fear shining in his onyx eyes. It can't be. Why him? The man smirked, landing softly on the ground. The others stared in shock, slightly frightened by the power radiating from the man. Gohan understood now. That knowing smirk, Janemba's plan all along was to get the strongest fighters away, his father beat this man before, so they made sure to distract Goku with another opponent. They were all going to die if Gohan didn't get a grip right now! Gohan grit his teeth, seething.

"Broly,"


	17. Chapter 17

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Piccolo could only stare at the legendary saiyan before him. If Gogeta did hurry and return to them, they might all be slaughtered. Wait! This was their plan all along! Gohan glared as he stood up sluggishly, the attack had done a lot more damage than he originally thought. Thinking, Gohan had to get Broly away from the others, they had enough on their plates without having to worry about him! Taking a deep breath, Gohan ran to the side, trying to draw Broly away as he took the sky, but was taken by surprise when the other saiyan appeared in front of him and punched him. Gohan was sent crashing into the earth before bouncing up from the small crater he created and rolled a few feet away before stopping, laying on his back and staring at the sky, dazed.

"Gohan!" Goten yelled as his brother rolled over onto his stomach, pushing himself up from the ground. Goten made a move to run to his fallen brother, but stopped when Gohan raised a shaking hand.

"No, Goten! You have your own battle to fight!" Gohan yelled, gesturing to the other enemies that were just landing.

"My, Gohan, not even five minutes and you're already beaten, what a shame!" Cell chuckled, though he was almost instantly attacked by Pikkon. The green man wasn't going to give the android a even a moment to talk with Gohan, he knew he was only going to try and distract the boy. Goten and Trunks nodded towards each other and did their fusion dance, turning into Gotenks who immediately went after Cooler once more. Following their example, everyone chose their enemy and decided to fight. Freeza smirked and slammed his tail on the ground, watching as Olibu approached him.

"So, your plan was to get Goku and Vegeta away so that you could get a chance to kill us," Olibu stated.

"Actually, our original plan was to get that filthy half saiyan brat on our side. As much as I hate to admit the half breed is strong. We were planning teasing him to his breaking point in hell, the whole reason why Janemba went out of his way to drag the monkey's body with him, but we weren't planning on Bardock to be there to help the boy," Freeza explained, his smirk widening.

"Then why kill him now?" Olibu asked.

"Oh, no! He's not going to die! The plan now is for him to get beaten, distract you and kill you. That way, he'll blame himself to the point where he'll break and destroy this entire planet!" Freeza laughed hysterically as Olibu's eyes widened in realization. That was clever! Would Gohan fall for it, there's no telling what the boy will do in his current state. Gohan wasn't paying attention to Freeza was saying, he was to busy trying to figure out how to defeat Broly. Gohan decided to just hold him off until Gogeta gets back. Taking a deep breath, Gohan started to raise his power, quickly ascending into super saiyan, but he couldn't find it in himself to go further than that. Brushing it off, Gohan rushed at Broly, barely being able to dodge the man's fist, however, he wasn't prepared to be kneed in the stomach. Gohan was already being beaten and they were barely getting started.

Gogeta turned in the direction of the house, he could sense Broly's overwhelming power.

"Just hold on guys," he muttered under his breath before rushing towards Janemba, throwing a powerful kick at the evil being before punching him. Together, they punched, kicked and dodged, a blur to a normal person's eye. Gogeta knew what he had to do, but he couldn't seem to get a moment to charge the attack. Gohan groaned as Broly repeatedly kicked him in his stomach, literally bearing him into the ground. Gohan was fighting for consciousness, a hard thing to do when he was fighting this man, pain and blood loss at the same time. Piccolo noticed this and charged a powerful Ki blast and threw it at Nappa, it hitting the bald man in the face, exploding as Piccolo rushed to help Gohan, but was violently kicked to the side by Freeza, who escaped Olibu momentarily.

"No," Gohan groaned out, coughing up blood. Broly smirked as he grabbed Gohan around his face, effortlessly lifting the boy into the air. Broly pulled his free hand back, forming a fist and landing a powerful blow to Gohan's stomach. Gohan groaned again, though silently as the air left his lungs. Broly kept this up for a while, repeatedly punching the boy in his stomach and sides, causing the boy a great amount of pain. Bored, Broly carelessly threw Gohan to the side, the boy skidded to a stop a few feet away, shaking and moaning in pain. Bardock turned his attention from the badly beaten Ginyu, briefly staring at his grandson with concerned eyes. Charging a powerful Ki blast, Bardock threw it at the purple alien, briefly watching as the man exploded before rushing to Gohan's aid.

"Damn it, get up, you have to fight!" Bardock yelled as landed a few inches away from the boy, facing the legendary saiyan with determination. Gohan tried to force his body up, but collapsed into the dirt, shaking violently.

Cell laughed as he dodged Pikkon once again, using his instant transmission to appear in front of Gohan. Cell kneeled down, briefly poking the teen, laughing when Gohan winced in pain.

"Oh, Gohan, look at you, you're so weak! Letting others fight your battles for you, that's not the Gohan I know," Cell chuckled as he was greeted by silence.

"Your grandfather is facing an enemy only Goku could defeat when he received energy from a number of powerful people, do you really think he's going to survive?" Cell asked, smirking when Gohan tried to get up again, but only collapsed again.

"He's going to die, you know. The difference, though, is that you can't wish him back with the dragon balls. And you know what? It will be all your fault. Goku won't forgive you, I mean he was just reunited with his father for the first time since he was a mere baby. And Gine? Oh, your grandmother would hate you," Cell teased, his smirk widening when he noticed Gohan stiffening at his words.

"They're leaving, boy," Freeza's voice reached them as he somehow escaped Olibu, landing a few inches behind Cell.

"They're fighting so hard, just to get away from you. I mean, the quicker they defeat us, the sooner they get to go back to Otherworld. Bardock would be so haply to get away from you, even hell is better than being near you. And Goku? As soon as he destroys Janemba, he'll come here, save the day and leave. He'll leave you again, Gohan, doesn't that just make you angry?" Freeza asked, his own smirk widening. Gohan's eyes widened in realization, it was true! They really were leaving and then everything will go back to the way it was before. Everyone will ignore him and give him hateful glares, they'll probably blame him for this, too. It'll be his fault that Goku leaves again. But this time, Goku's own parents are going to leave because of him, and Goku will blame him, too. No! Don't blame me, daddy, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought of the loneliness. Wait, he was dead too! He was going back to hell after this. No. Hell is to good for a monster like him, he deserves eternal darkness! That's it! If he destroys every single enemy, use up all his energy, he'll die again! And if he dies again, he'll disappear forever!

Gohan forced his body up, a cold look on his face. Cell smiled sadistically at the new determination coming off of Gohan. Goku their plan worked, now to destroy the entire universe! Gohan sat on his knees, tiredness briefly holding him back, but he decided to just force it away. Reaching deep within himself, the sound of his grandfather getting beaten motivating him, he leaned forward, forming fists with his hands as he started screaming, raising his power level. Freeza's eyes widened at this power, staring in bewilderment at the boy. Cell merely smirked. Good, Gohan was almost at the level he was when they fought all those years ago. Gohan pushed himself farther, ascending into his super saiyan 2 form, but didn't stop there. Raising his power to a level that rivalled his father's super saiyan 3 form. Gohan briefly wondered why he never ascended into the super saiyan 3 form, but didn't dwell on it to long. His aura was strong, pushing Cell away from him, causing the android to nearly crash into Freeza. Bardock stared at his grandson, a proud look on his face. Piccolo cheered inwardly, finally! The boy has finally gotten a hold on his true power once again!

Pikkon stared, a shocked loom on his face. Gohan's power was even more overwhelming than Broly's, but this was pure energy. He could sense it! It was as pure as a child. Smiling, Pikkon realized that no matter what happened, Gohan nearly killing his friends and family on numerous times, it didn't effect him spiritually, he was still that pure, innocent, loving boy that Goku told him about. He could sense Gohan's inner child in his energy. This power, this energy, it was beautiful. Olibu covered his eyes at the dust and rubble that flew everywhere. This, was true power. Janemba turned, his attention grabbed by the enormous power coming from where the others were. His distraction made for good time as Gogeta charged his attack. A ball of pure Ki that he threw at Janemba, causing the evil being to scream. A bright light flashed before revealing a small ogre with headphones kn. The ogre stared at him, then at his surroundings before he took off running. Gogeta laughed briefly before the fusion wore off. They were able to defeat Janemba and just in time, too.

"Kakarot, that power!" Vegeta yelled, eyes wide as they stared in the direction from which they could sense it coming from. Goku nodded, eyes just as wide. It was no doubt his son, but something was wrong. The energy felt as pure as always, but almost as if it had been, harmed? Is that even possible? Goku's eyes widened even more, the energy was one with Gohan, of Gohan was hurt emotionally, then it would effect his energy! Oh, no. What is Gohan going to do? He isn't stable enough for this amount of power! Goku thought as he took off running, followed quickly by Vegeta. Hold on, son!


	18. Chapter 18

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

Gohan stood straight, an angry look on his face that always seemed to come with the change of turning into a super saiyan 2. He had to do this, for his friends and family, to protect them! Gohan rushed at Broly suddenly, landing a powerful punch to the legend's face, actually knocking him back. Broly's smirk slipped off his face at the boy's power, something he wasn't expecting. The two fought, mostly dodging each other's attacks. The others were so held up in watching the fight, that they temporarily forgot about their own. Gohan was starting to grow tired of this, he needed to end this, and quick. Back flipping away a few feet, Gohan cupped his hands, gathering a large amount of his energy as Broly started to do the same.

"Kamehame-HA!" Gohan yelled, thrusting his hands forward as well as the blast, hitting Broly's own attack, the two started pushing against each other.

"Gohan!" Goten yelled, running to his brother's aid, throwing his own kamehameha at Broly, trying to help his brother succeed. He and Trunks had separated during the time Gohan had used to raise his power level.

This kind of reminded Gohan of when he fought against Buu, his brother and father coming to help him. Gohan tried to search for more power as he felt Broly's attack starting to overtake their own. Panicking, Gohan moved and kicked his brother out of the way just as Broly's attack won. Gohan wasn't fast enough to dodge and was hit full force, sending him flying back with the attacked before it took a sudden turn towards the sky, where Gohan just barely managed to throw himself off of the attack. Panting, Gohan fazed out, reappearing behind a startled Broly, who turned to him to slowly.

"Masenko-HA!" Gohan yelled, the blast hitting Broly in the face, doing quite a bit of damage to the man. Angry, Broly punched Gohan, forcing a lot of his Ki into his fist, he impaled the boy, much like Gohan had done to his father, the difference being, Broly's fist came out the other end.

Blood flew from Gohan mouth as he coughed, pained noises coming up his throat. Broly smirked and pulled his fist back, moving to punch the kid away, but Gohan jumped over the fist grabbing onto Broly's arm, planting his feet on the man's chest. Gohan used one of his feet to repeatedly kick the man in the face before he let go, sending one last powerful kick to the side of the saiyan's face, knocking him back. Gohan flew back from Broly, gaining some distance as he landed on his knees, clutching onto his stomach wound.

"Special Beam Cannon!" A swirling Ki blast hit Broly in his chest, breaking skin and shooting a hole in the legendary man's chest. Breathing deeply, Gohan ignored the pain as best he could and formed a powerful Ki blast, throwing it at Broly along with Pikkon and Olibu, they watched as the man exploded, turning into nothing but dust. Cell, Freeza and Cooler stood watching in shock, not having expected this outcome. Gohan kneeled down, clutching at his wound as he panted, trying to force the pain away as he stood up, facing a visibly shocked Cooler. Gohan prepared himself, shocking everyone when he forced another kamehameha, he caught Cooler off guard, managing to kill the alien with little to no struggle.

"Gohan!" Goku called as he and Vegeta ran towards the scene, just in time to watch Gohan collapse onto his hands and knees, panting and moaning in pain, his energy nearly completely gone. Freeza smirked, slamming his tail to the ground, laughing his overly forced laugh, mocking the teen.

"It's alright now, I can take it from here, Gohan," Goku said once he reached the battle ground, preparing himself to fight. The one's left weren't that powerful and could be defeated easily enough, except Cell. Freeza's smirk widened, finally, revenge. Gohan pushed his father away, shocking everyone as he shakily got to his feet, forming yet another Ki blast and throwing it to Freeza. The alien frowned, easily slapping the attack away, it crashing and exploding the home behind him.

"This is utterly pathetic, even for you, filthy monkey! You think a weak attack like that could stop me!?" Freeza laughed, quickly forming two disc like Ki blasts and threw them towards the two facing him. Gohan and Goku took to the air, seeing that the attacks were guided and that they were after the teen. Gohan knew he couldn't out run them, he wasn't fast enough for this. Distracted, he didn't notice them coming right for him. He was barely able to dodge, one cutting into his chest, much like Krillin's when he attacked the teen on the lookout the previous year. The other cut him on his back, from his right shoulder to his left hip. Gohan cursed himself as he was hit once again. This was the third time in mere minutes! And it was painful, too. Crying out, Gohan watched in relief when Goku managed to blow them up before he decided it was time for him to land or risk passing out in the sky.

Gohan landed on the ground on his knees, knowing that his legs couldn't support him, clutching at his chest wound. Gohan watched as his friends and family worked together, quickly defeating their remaining enemy. Smiling a small smile, Gohan pulled his arm away from his chest, the other being used to support him. He stared at his blood on his arm, he was bleeding heavily, a small puddle forming beneath him as he stared, mesmerized. Gohan felt his super saiyan form leave him, making him realize just how weak he was feeling as he collapsed forward, falling onto his stomach. Goku charged a kamehameha, wanting to defeat Freeza and Cell quickly, he could feel Gohan's Ki flickering. Throwing the blast at the alien, Goku was satisfied when it hit it's target, causing Freeza to be shredded to nothing. He turned and ran towards his son, relying on his comrades to defeat Cell, trusting Pikkon, Olibu and Vegeta were strong enough to defeat the android. They were able to defeat the android quickly when he reached his fallen son. The android was so shocked, that he was completely caught off guard when he was attacked from all directions. They wasted no time to use their strongest attacks together to kill the android, destroying every single Cell so that he couldn't reform.

"Gohan!" Goku yelled, turning the boy over and cradling him, disturbed by the amount of blood surrounding and covering his son.

"C'mon, Gohan, stay awake! Dende!" He yelled at the smaller Namekian who ran towards them, falling to his knees and instantly starting to heal his friend. The other's soon gathered, Chi-Chi falling to her knees by Gohan's head, trying to talk to the boy.

"Goku, I don't know if I can heal him. There are limits to which even I can heal," Dende spoke, eyes saddening.

"Try harder, Dende, please!" Goku begged, his eyes pleading the Namekian to not give up. It was a tense silence as Dende focused, using nearly all of his own energy to heal his friend. A collective sigh of relief came from everyone as Gohan's eyes fluttered open, staring in confusion at first, before realization hit him. He didn't die. Damn it, he can't even die right, what is wrong with him?! Gohan sat up slowly, staring at his lap in complete sadness as everyone cheered. This isn't what he wanted.


	19. Chapter 19

*Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Warning: Violence, self harm, suicidal thoughts, angst and character death.*

"Goku," Piccolo called, closing his eyes once his friend looked over at him. Goku stood, walking to Piccolo, noticing the serious tone in his voice.

"Yeah?" Goku asked curiously.

"Goku, back there, Gohan was-" Piccolo was cut off.

"I know," Goku said, bowing his head as sadness took over his voice.

"Goku, I was going to ask you, would you stay? For Gohan?" Piccolo asked, expression worried as he looked at the man. Goku raised his head in surprise, before smiling widely.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Goku said, barely giving Piccolo a moment to reply before he disappeared. Gohan clenched his eyes shut when Goku disappeared, feeling his already shattered heart being broken into more pieces. So they were right, his dad really was leaving? And without so much as a goodbye? Goku appeared in front of Kibito who fell from the rock he was sitting on, yelling in surprise.

"Goku?" The Supreme Kai asked.

"Hey, Supreme Kai, how are you!?" Goku asked as he ran up to the purple man.

"Fine, I just-why?" He trailed off, not wanting to sound rude.

"Oh, I'm here to ask a favour," Goku smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It has something to do with Gohan, doesn't it?" The Kai asked.

"Yeah, long story short, Gohan never got better, actually, he got worse and I'm afraid that if I leave again, he'll lose it, so I was wondering, can you help me?" Goku asked, a pleading look on his face.

"Absolutely not!" A voice called Goku turned, seeing the older Kai walking towards them.

"But, sir! The entire universe is at stake! I'll sacrifice my life for this!" Shin yelled.

"Alright, alright! I'll do it!" The old Kai said, sighing in defeat.

"But-" Shin was cut off.

"No buts, your still young, let me do this," the old Kai brushed him off.

"Thank you!" Goku thanked, smiling happily.

Goten ran up to his brother, falling to his knees next to the teen. Goten started talking a mile a minute, not noticing that Gohan wasn't even listening, he was to busy staring at the scars on his arms. He could suddenly sense Goku again, but decided to ignore it.

"Goku, where did your halo go?" Bulma asked, this gained Gohan's attention.

"I decided to stay, an old friend helped me out and long story short, I'm alive again!" Goku said cheerfully as he walked to Gohan. Everyone tensed, anxiously awaiting the boy's reaction.

"R-really?" Gohan asked, a tiny bit of hope burning inside him.

"Yes, Gohan. I'm here to stay, with you, son," Goku answered, sitting down on his legs next to his son. A small flicker of life returned to Gohan's eyes as the tears gathered. Throwing himself at his father, Gohan started crying, clutching onto the man's shirt, as of afraid he'd leave once he let go.

"That's all I ever wanted! That's all!" Gohan cried, his pain and grief finally being released. Goku hugged his son tightly to his chest, his heart aching. He could have spared Gohan so much pain if he'd just came back in the first place. He couldn't turn back time, no, but he could make up for the time he'd lost with his sons and hopefully, his eldest would finally heal. Everyone watched in silence as Gohan cried, gently being shushed and reassured by his father. Exhaustion finally became to much for the teen as he finally succumbed to the darkness, slowly falling limp in Goku's arms. It was clear that the teen had fallen asleep, he no longer breathed irregularly and had stopped crying, but was now breathing deeply. Relief washed over everyone, Gohan was finally going to be okay now. Bulma collapsed to her knees and cried herself, everything finally catching up to the woman.

Bardock smiled, he could sense a shift in Gohan, a good one. The boy was finally back to his old self.

"What a relief!" Yamcha cried, getting emotional himself. Everyone cheered at the new accomplishment.

"Not yet," Piccolo spoke. Everyone tensed again.

"What do you mean?! Goku's back, he's going to help Gohan!" Krillin yelled.

"How do you think Gohan's going to react when his grandparents have to go back to Otherworld? He already loves Bardock as much as he loves Goku, he's only just starting to heal, to lose someone important to him now, it might leave permanent wounds," Piccolo said, noticing that everyone's moods seemed to dampen. It was silent as everyone thought this over, staring at the peaceful teen. An idea struck.

"We can just wish them back with the dragon balls!" Bulma yelled suddenly.

"Yeah! I mean, if you want to stay here?" Goku asked, hope shining in his eyes.

"Of course, that'd be great," Bardock smiled, laughing as everyone cheered once again.

Chi-Chi felt relieved, Goku was staying, not to mention her father and mother in law. Gohan was going to be so happy when he learns of this. But first, they need to talk to the boy, figure out what started this, and apologize for everything that has gone wrong.

"What about our house?" Goten asked from where he was sitting near Goku, staring at his brother.

"Oh, no! Our house! It was blown up! What now!?" Chi-Chi asked frantically.

"It's alright, Chi-Chi, I'll give you one. Actually, you need one big enough for all of you. I think I know just the right one," Bulma said, a finger on her chin as she thought before moving it away, smiling.

"Oh, but Bulma, we can't possibly-" Chi-Chi started protesting, but was cut off.

"Nonsense, it's the least I can do," Bulma said, smiling reassuringly.

"Thank you, Bulma," Chi-Chi said, smiling as tears gathered in her eyes.

Goku moved slightly, freezing when Gohan shifted, his eyes fluttering before he settled down again. Goku gathered the teen in his arms carefully as he stood, moving under a tree, where he sat down again. Gohan was laying on his his side between his father's legs, his upper body and head resting against Goku's stomach and chest. Goten stood beside his father, gently rubbing Gohan's back. Bulma had dragged Vegeta away, forcing him to fly her to Capsule Corporation so that she could find them a new home. They weren't gone for long before they landed again, Vegeta looking annoyed as he let go of the blue haired woman. She laughed, showing the small capsule to Chi-Chi.

"We should probably search through the wreckage, maybe we can find something sentimental that didn't blow up?" Bulma suggested. Together, everyone, except Goku and Gohan, searched through the remains of the house. Chi-Chi moved broken and burnt pieces of wood aside, it was once their bookcase.

There, she noticed a book. Their photo album, to be exact. The cover was slightly singed, but the pictures were still intact. Chi-Chi hugged the book to her chest, sighing in relief. Goten cheered as he found his precious teddy bear, the one that used to belong to Gohan. Once finished, Vegeta took it upon himself to blow up the remains of the old house to create space for the new one. The explosion caused Gohan to jump, rushing to sit up, he was slightly panicked that they were being attacked.

"It's alright son, it's just Vegeta," Goku reassured as he sat up, placing a reassuring hand on Gohan's shoulder. The teen flinched, not used to being touched. Goku was slightly hurt, but brushed it off as he stood with his son, walking to where the others stood, not having noticed the two. Bulma pressed the top of the capsule before throwing it onto the space where the old one stood. Smoke covered the area, before it settled down, revealing a large, two story house.

Gohan was confused, why was it so big? He stood at the back of the group, absentmindedly staring at their new home.

"Goku? Where's Gohan?" Chi-Chi asked when Goku came and stood next to her.

"He's over there," Goku pointed. Chi-Chi turned, seeing her baby standing there, lost in thought. Chi-Chi rushed to him, crying out when she reached him and forced the teen into a crushing hug. Gohan was completely caught off guard, not having expected his mother to react this way.

"Oh, my poor baby, are you feeling okay?" She asked as she pulled back placing her hands on his cheeks and forcing him to look at her. Gohan blushed.

"I'm fine, mom," Gohan mumbled, struggling to speak with his cheeks being squashed.

"Are you sure?" Chi-Chi asked as she started to look him over.

Gohan stared blankly as his mother fussed over him, slightly annoyed when his friends and family laughed at him. His brow twitching.

"Alright, now, let's go inside so that we can talk," Chi-Chi said sternly, expecting Gohan to protest. Gohan sighed, but walked to the new house none the less, knowing that arguing with his mother would be pointless. Gohan looked around once he entered. The kitchen was large as well as the living room. Gohan could just barely see a staircase around the corner. Confused, Gohan decided to sit down on one of the chairs in the living room, his back to the door. Chi-Chi and Goku sat across from him, the rest of them behind Gohan, though the teen didn't notice. He felt awkward. It was silent for a while, no one knowing how to begin.

"Gohan, I just want to ask you, why did you take your own life? Was it because of me? Please be honest with us, sweetie," Chi-Chi asked, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart as the air tensed. Gohan thought of how to answer that question.

"You want me to be honest?" He asked, unsure.

"Yes, we do," Chi-Chi answered as she and Goku both nodded.

They waited in anticipation, curious to know the boy's reasons. Gohan sighed, well, here goes.

"I guess, in a way, it was partially your fault, mom, but mostly my own. I was angry and upset. The truth is, I was blaming myself for everything that happened. I didn't defeat Cell, so dad had to sacrifice his own life to save everyone. Then, Future Trunks got killed and it was my fault again. I wasn't fast enough, I should have been able to deflect that blast and save him. Not only that, but what happened long before the Cell games. Dad died against uncle Raditz and I couldn't do anything to help. Then, Vegeta and Nappa came, and I was still to weak! Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu and Piccolo died because I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't even able to help against the Ginyu force or Freeza," Gohan said, his fists clenched in his lap as tears slowly started to build up in his eyes.

"Then, after the Cell games, mom found out about Goten and I couldn't handle the thought of my sibling having to live with the monster who killed their father. But then, I was slowly being pushed away. At first, I didn't notice, but then it became obvious. I didn't blame mom, I though I deserved it. I still do. It was just so lonely and painful. Then I started noticing all the hateful glares everyone gave me. I didn't mind, I deserved it, but I was slowly starting to feel out of place, like I didn't belong. And then, I almost hurt mom, Bulma and Trunks. It was when Vegeta, Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien and Krillin followed me that I decided I didn't want to be here anymore. So, a month later, I did it. I was hoping to get away from all this pain, but that didn't work as I was stuck here, only being seen by Trunks at first," Gohan continued, briefly pausing. Chi-Chi took in a shuddering breath. This was a lot harder to hear than she originally thought. Goku felt his heart clench, this was the first time he heard the full story.

"I was only seen by Trunks at first and decided to stick by his side. The anger I felt only grew worse as I watched everyone move on, as though I hadn't existed in the first place. It hurt to watch, but then I slowly started to forget. Eventually, the only thing I could remember was that I absolutely hated my dad. Though, I didn't remember who he was at first, I soon figured it out. Every time someone said his name, I would feel anger, even hatred, but I couldn't remember why I was feeling this way. I gained my memories back the morning before the tournament, when mom gave Goten my old teddy bear and told him about the special boy, his big brother, me. It was then that I realized that I was so angry at dad for leaving us. It felt as though everything was more important than his family and that every time he left, I had to pick up the pieces. I had to fix our broken family. It was worse because this time, he decided to stay away and not come back. He chose not to come back to mom and Goten. To me. So, that anger took hold and didn't let go, causing me to almost do something I'll regret. I blamed everything on him," Gohan briefly glanced up at his father, his heart clenching at the pained look on his face. He wanted to stop, but knew, he had to do this.

"Everything just got worse when Goten decided to defend dad. I felt so betrayed. I knew, dad would leave and then I would have to pick up after him again. It made me so angry that I nearly killed mom and Goten. Then Krillin nearly killed me and it got even worse. I regret it, I regret it so much, it will always haunt me. Then, Buu killed mom and I actually wanted to laugh. I didn't know what was wrong with me, I just wasn't in my right mind, but then I heard Bulma beg me to save them and I couldn't stay away. I did what I had to do and fought Buu eventually, though my plan was to get myself killed again. I thought that if I died saving the world, then maybe I won't get stuck here again and I could go to Otherworld, but it didn't happen. Dad left and I had to pick up again, though this time, everyone was scared. I didn't blame you guys, though. I knew I deserved it, but it still hurt. It was even worse now, because I didn't have anyone. It really hurt Especially when Goten said he hated me," Gohan's tears fell onto his legs, his head bowed as he clenched his eyes shut.

"That hurt more than anything. I could take everything else, but not that. Then dad came back and things didn't really change. I felt so drained and tired, it was the reason I was so distracted when I fought against Pikkon. Everything just looked so comfortable to sleep on. I felt safe and warm when we were sleeping in bed as a family. I regret what I did to you dad. I almost killed you, again. I can never forgive myself for everything that I've done," Gohan cried, his body shaking. Chi-Chi finally understood as she fell to her knees in front of Gohan, forcing him to look at her as she whiped his tears away.

"I don't blame you Gohan, I forgive you. You were just a scared, lonely little boy, who didn't know how to deal with his pain. I'm sorry I neglected you, all those years ago. I'm sorry for what I have done this past year despite promising myself I would treat you better, I didn't. I hope you can forgive me, sweetie," Chi-Chi said softly, tears falling down her pale cheeks as Gohan stared at her with wide, confused eyes.

"I'm sorry, too, Gohan. I shouldn't have tried to kill you on the lookout," Krillin said, a guilty look on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I said I hated you, brother, I love you," Goten said as he tugged on Gohan's pant leg.

"We're all sorry we didn't treat you right, Gohan. We were just so caught up in moving on after Goku's decision, we forgot that it must have hurt you most of all," Bulma spoke softly, her own tears falling. Gohan could only stare on in shock, not knowing what to do or say.

"I'm sorry I left, son. I should have taken you and your mother into consideration when I made my choice. I forced you to grow up far to quickly than you should have. I hope you can forgive me, I promise I will make it all up to you, son," Goku spoke as he, too, sat down next to Chi-Chi on the floor.

"I forgive you," Gohan spoke after a moments hesitation, not really saying it to anyone in particular.

They felt relief wash over them at the boy's words. Bulma cried as she walked to Gohan and forced him to his feet and into a hug as she cried. Gohan awkwardly hugged her back, not really knowing how to react now. Everyone took their turn to hug him, with the exception of Piccolo and Vegeta. The Namekian had placed his hand on Gohan's head and smiled at him. Vegeta even graced him with a small smile of his own, the prince was relieved to know that the boy was better now.

"I just have one question," Gohan said once his mother let go of him.

"What is it?" Bulma asked.

"Why is our new house so big?" Gohan asked, a confused look on his face. It was silent as everyone started smiling at him. Gohan stared at them sceptically, slightly worried.

"Well, son. Your grandparents decided to stay. We're going to wish them back with the dragon balls," Goku said, a bright smile on his face. A look of disbelief crossed Gohan's features.

"Really!?" He yelled, excitement clearly heard in his voice as the life returned to his eyes.

"We sure are," Bardock laughed. Chi-Chi watched, nearly in tears as Gohan laughed, a sound none of them had heard in years. It was beautiful. Gohan was back to his old, cheerful, innocent and sweet self. His eyes shined with life, his Ki flickering as he was starting to heal. Everything would be alright now. And this time, it could be said with confidence.


End file.
